Nerlens Noel Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Pick Up Options On Three Players

October 31st, 2014 at 9:57am CST by Eddie Scarito

FRIDAY, 9:57pm: The moves are official, the team announced via press release. Sixers spokesperson Michael Preston confirms the news via Twitter.

THURSDAY, 7:37pm: The Sixers have picked up the third-year team options for Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams, as well as the fourth-year team option for Tony Wroten, as is shown in the RealGM transactions log. These moves give Philadelphia approximately $13,508,212 in guaranteed salary commitments for the 2015/16 season.

None of these moves come as a surprise since all three players factor heavily into the Sixers’ long term rebuilding plans. The 2015/16 salaries for the three players will be $3,457,800 for Noel; $2,399,040 for Carter-Williams; and $2,179,354 for Wroten.

Carter-Williams won the Rookie of the Year award last season after being selected with the No. 11 overall pick in the draft. He averaged 16.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 6.3 APG. His slash line was .405/.264/.703. There were rumors during the offseason that the team was shopping Carter-Williams, but no deal materialized and he remains the team’s starting point guard. For him to take the next step in his development, Carter-Williams desperately needs to cut down on his 3.5 turnovers per game of a season ago.

The 20-year-old Noel begins his rookie campaign after an injury suffered during his lone year at Kentucky kept him out for the entire 2013/14 season. Extremely athletic and a gifted defender, Noel will need to develop his offensive game if he hopes to fulfill his immense potential.

Originally drafted by the Grizzlies, Wroten is being counted on this season to provide a large portion of Philadelphia’s scoring. In 108 career games, including 17 starts, he has averaged 9.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 2.5 APG. His career shooting percentages are .423/.216/.642.

Eastern Notes: Smart, Sixers, Anthony, Wiggins

June 15th, 2014 at 8:57am CST by Eddie Scarito

Magic executives love Marcus Smart‘s intangibles, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. They value his leadership, toughness and competitiveness so much that they might select him fourth overall, opines Robbins. The only negative to drafting Smart is that teams aren’t sure of his position yet. According to the article, one NBA talent evaluator said of Smart, “That’s the thing that I think there’s a little bit of concern about. But I think he’s probably more of a point guard than a shooting guard. Of course there are things that he’s going to have to learn as a point guard to become better and an efficient point guard in our league. I wouldn’t say he’s a ‘true point guard,’ but he’s got point guard skills.”

Eastern Notes: Noel, Maxiell, Bird

March 12th, 2014 at 8:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jason Maxiell hasn’t played in the Magic’s last nine games and has only one appearance since January 29th, but he’s trying to maintain a positive outlook, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Maxiell stated, “I’m respecting that this is a year for the young guys to develop and improve for next year. With the coaching staff and [general manager] Rob [Hennigan] and [assistant general manager] Scott Perry, I think more of the bigger picture is moving forward for next year and having a mixture of experienced young guys mixed in with some vets.” Robbins mentions that the lack of playing time could hurt Maxiell in the long run because of his contract. He signed a free-agent contract with the Magic during the offseason, and his salary of $2.5MM for next year is non-guaranteed and he won’t be owed anything if the team waives him before mid-July.

Eastern Notes: Bynum, Bobcats, Woodson

February 6th, 2014 at 10:11pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Bobcats are going to be buyers at the trade deadline, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.com. With the Bobcats having exceeded expectations this season, and with the overall weakness of the Eastern Conference, the team will try and bolster their roster for a playoff push. The team has been actively shopping Ben Gordon‘s expiring $13.2MM contract, and would be willing to part with a first-round pick for the right player. Charlotte will surrender their pick to the Bulls if it falls out of the top ten, but might still have two first-rounders in this year’s draft. They are owed the Pistons first-round pick (top-eight protected), as well as the Trail Blazers pick (top-12 protected). According to Kennedy, the Bobcats have already inquired about the Sixers Evan Turner, and the Bulls Taj Gibson.

Atlantic Notes: Woodson, Brown, Noel

January 22nd, 2014 at 7:06pm CST by Cray Allred

While the Knicks have returned to their losing ways of late, the Nets appear to be stabilizing as a winning team. Star point guard Deron Williams credits Jason Kidd‘s development as a coach for the change, per Stefan Bondy of New York Daily News. “I think since [former assistant coach Frank Lawrence] has left…He was leaning on (Frank) a lot,” Williams said of Kidd. “Now I think he’s coaching the way he wants to and doing things the way he wants to so that’s what you’re seeing.” Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Ian Begley of ESPN New York thinks that Knicks head coach Mike Woodson could soon be back on the hot seat, wondering if he has lost the locker room during their current four-game losing streak. He has been at odds with multiple players, most recently with star center Tyson Chandler.
Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders thinks that it’s time for the Knicks to trade away both Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, citing the team’s mediocrity and the salary burden that could come with Melo even if he did re-sign with New York. Since the team would likely have to give a max contract under his Bird Rights, they would be committing to over $26MM a year for one player through his early thirties. Beer thinks a wiser course is to get something in return for him now, struggle for two years (the Knicks have their 2015 draft pick, but not their 2014 pick) and maintain large cap space heading into the potentially huge free agent market of 2015.
Sixers coach Brett Brown used the time afforded by the team’s lengthy coaching search to research the job and ponder whether he wanted to take it, as he tells Grantland’s Zach Lowe. Brown also says he sees “Ryan Anderson-type” stretch power forwards as a lasting innovation.
Brett Brown also said that it’s possible that Sixers rookie Nerlens Noel, who they took 6th overall in last year’s draft, could miss the rest of the season despite recently gaining medical clearance to play, per Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. “I mean, anything’s possible,” says Brown. “I mean at this stage, we’re moving forward and he’s doing a good job.”

Latest On Sixers, Trade Candidates

January 19th, 2014 at 8:54am CST by Jonathan Nehring

To date, Sixers GM Sam Hinkie has only made one big move in his short time in Philadelphia: trading for Nerlens Noel. Bigger transactions may lie ahead, but they might not happen until the summer, according to Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times, who believes there should be no rush to deal any of Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, or Thaddeus Young, the club’s three prime trade candidates.

The Sixers would ideally get a 2014 first-rounder and an expiring contract in return for Turner and Hawes, Moore writes, and Hinkie is willing to deal either player if another team meets his price. It’s unclear from Moore’s report just how open Hinkie is to dealing Young, though the team is apparently upping its aggressiveness in trade talks regarding the power forward, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe.

If the Sixers keep Turner, they’re unlikely to extend him the $8.7MM qualifying offer he’s due in order to allow the team to match offers for him this summer. That would make Turner an unrestricted free agent. Moore says Hawes, who’ll hit unrestricted free agency this sumemr regardless, might not be the best fit for Philadelphia’s future with Noel returning from injury. If Turner and Hawes choose to leave, Moore suggests the Sixers could work out a sign-and-trade.

Ultimately, Moore doesn’t think February’s deadline should rush the Sixers to making a move. If no one will give Hinkie what he is asking for, he should roll the dice with free agency this summer to see if the asking prices for Turner and Hawes will fit in the Sixers budget, Moore opines. For what it’s worth, Young holds a slight lead on Turner among Hoops Rumors readers who shared their thoughts on which of the three is most likely to be traded.

Speaking of Hinkie rolling the dice, Nerlens Noel has drawn some Greg Oden comparisons but the Sixers GM remains confident that trading for Noel will prove to be smart. Hinkie told Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer that “Nerlens is indicative of what we’re doing here,” which Sielski interprets to be “swinging for the fence at every pitch.”

Noel has not played in a NBA game since being drafted last summer but the Sixers are hoping the rookie will be able to recover from knee surgery and become a franchise player. However, if it doesn’t work out that way, Hinkie doesn’t believe it will destroy Philadelphia and has gathered other assets in future draft picks and flexible cap room to make sure it won’t hinder the near future of the franchise.

Atlantic Rumors: Smith, ‘Melo, Young

January 15th, 2014 at 6:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

J.R. Smith expressed his displeasure both during and after Monday’s game to Mike Woodson, who had decided against starting him for overtime that night, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Smith was late for a meeting Tuesday, sources told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, and Woodson benched him for the entirety of last night’s game. Begley hears Smith is still angry at the team for waiving his brother last month. Still, Woodson said today on The Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show on ESPN New York 98.7 that he’s not “kicking J.R. to the curb,” and that he’ll remain a “big part” of the club, Berman notes. Here’s more from the Atlantic Division on the day that Smith and six others become eligible to be traded.

Woodson also said on radio that he’s “concerned” that the events of this season might lead Carmelo Anthony to sign elsewhere, but the coach nonetheless believes Anthony will play for the Knicks his entire career, Newsday’s Al Iannazzone observes.
The Sixers are ramping up discussions with other teams about potential Thaddeus Young trades, and executives around the league consider it a “lock” that they’ll try to trade Evan Turner, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe in a piece on today’s three-team swap.
The Warriors reportedly passed on Kyle Lowry because they were worried he’d be a poor fit for their locker room, but the Raptors point guard tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that he’s unaware of how the team would get that impression.
Nerlens Noel has been medically cleared to play, and while Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com hears he could make his NBA debut in four to six weeks, Sixers coach Brett Brown says there’s no such timetable, and that he still may sit out the season, notes Tom Moore of Calkins Media (Twitter link).
Conversely, Jason Richardson says there’s a “good chance” he’ll come back from injury to play for the Sixers this season, Moore tweets.
The Sixers recalled Lorenzo Brown from the D-League today, one day after sending him down, the team announced via Twitter. He had 22 points and eight assists for the Delaware 87ers last night.
Rajon Rondo‘s brief trip to the D-League today didn’t involve any travel, as the Maine Red Claws came to the Celtics practice facility in Waltham, Massachusetts, to practice with him, as Chris Mannix of SI.com explains (on Twitter).

Atlantic Links: Noel, Celtics, Vasquez

December 12th, 2013 at 10:34pm CST by Ryan Raroque

76ers prospect Nerlens Noel hasn’t let his knee rehab prevent him from working on other parts of his game, as Dei Lynam of CSN Philly reports that head coach Brett Brown has been tutoring the young big man on defensive principles in addition to working with him on his shooting form. As per Brown:

“I am thrilled [with] what he has done with his shot…We said from the very beginning that this is an opportunity and one that I hope he never has again…There is far more fluid to his shot and I think the carryover from this year will be significant if we can get it right for his future.”

Here are a few more minor notes to pass along out of the Atlantic Division:

In his latest Celtics mailbag, Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston answers questions about Jordan Crawford‘s emergence, what happens to the rotation once Rajon Rondo is cleared to play, and which players have improved their trade value since the start of the season.
According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is taking a cautious approach with the team’s Atlantic Division-leading 10-14 start to the season (Subscribers only).
Eric Koreen of the National Post writes about how Greivis Vasquez‘s affinity for playing for playing pick-and-roll basketball on a Raptors team that welcomes plenty of those opportunities will be an important development as the team looks to move on from Kyle Lowry.
Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops explores the Knicks and Nets’ proposed deals with Toronto for Lowry and discusses whether or not they make sense.

Atlantic Rumors: Noel, Bradley, Brooks, Stevens

October 27th, 2013 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes Nerlens Noel must grow physically and emotionally if he’s to live up to his expectations in the NBA, so, according to the Inquirer scribe, he’d be better off not returning from his left knee injury at any point this season. Coach Brett Brown this week attempted to dispel the notion that any decisions had been made about when Noel would play again, after making it seem on Monday as though Noel was likely to miss the season. The Sixers hoped injured center Andrew Bynum would come back to lead them deep into the playoffs last year, but there’s not much on the line this time around for Philly’s ragtag bunch. Here’s more from the Atlantic:

The Celtics and Avery Bradley continue talks about an extension, but no deal is imminent for the Mitchell Butler client, writes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. The 2014/15 team option on MarShon Brooks‘ contract is still a matter of debate in the front office, Murphy adds.
Former Suns GM Steve Kerr doesn’t say whether he was interested in Brad Stevens, but he does tell Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that several GMs around the league had wanted to hire Stevens before the Celtics did.
Isiah Thomas last coached in the NBA with the Knicks in 2007/08, but he explains to Washburn that he hasn’t closed the door on a return to the bench.
Trade acquisition Andrea Bargnani struggled for the Knicks in preseason, and he isn’t a lock to keep his job as starting power forward, as Marc Berman of the New York Post details.

Sixers Notes: Noel, Carter-Williams, Roster

October 22nd, 2013 at 8:08pm CST by Michael Pina

A few notes about the Sixers, a team many believe will be the league’s worst this season

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey writes that the Sixers have six players who they know will contribute during the regular season. Beyond that, the rotation is a complete question mark.
Sixers head coach Brett Brown isn’t sure whether Nerlens Noel will play this season, but he’s hoping the rookie center is able to contribute, writes the Inquirer’s Pompey.
Hoopsworld.com’s Alex Kennedy writes that Philadelphia’s rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams is in an unlikely position, being that he’ll be a starter from day one, with almost no expectations despite being a lottery pick.