Nerlens Noel has placed the Philadelphia 76ers on the defensive multiple times this season. But rather than cool his public frustration and candor, he has elected to switch agents
What a tangled web you weave, Nerlens Noel! Sore ankle and just the second game from the ten minutes and injury against the Detroit Pistons, and Noel played eight minutes. And curiously, it was that eight minutes which prompted another tirade.
“I just want to play basketball. I’m not an eight-minute player so I don’t know what that’s about. […] I need to be on the court playing basketball. I think I’m too good to be playing eight minutes. Like, no, that’s crazy. That’s crazy. That’s crazy. They need to figure this s–t out.”-Nerlens Noel interviewed by CSNPhilly.com’s Jessica Camerato following a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers
While the Philadelphia 76ers are trying to find common ground and sort through trees to find a path in the forest, Noel keeps on spilling venom into the media. It’s a surprising turn of events for the ever devolving controversy. The situation which needed everyone’s buy in found that Noel was all too quick to break ranks.
It’s his contract year. After three seasons of losing, Nerlens Noel wants out.
No. My understanding is this thing comes to a close fairly soon. https://t.co/A2HBLlVudW
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) December 19, 2016
He is a suddenly very-outspoken-center Nerlens Noel. He is the Nerlens Noel who is completely focused and busy readying himself for a new NBA contract – somewhere. But the price of getting what you want, or out of what you don’t want, can be very costly.
A young man who, for his entire NBA career so far, has done what was asked of him, has felt the walls closing in. Perhaps that feeling resembles the feeling of being powerless.
If that’s the case, then any action of reestablishing a beachhead of control would be a step worth taking, right?
Dec 14, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and forward Nerlens Noel (M) and forward Ben Simmons (R) during a timeout in the second half against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. The Toronto Raptors won 123.114. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Change Something, For Heaven’s Sake!
And so, the young center had been a client of agent Andy Miller for his entire NBA career. But now, he seems to be on the verge of equating a new deal with a new agent. Changing something. Exerting control. To change the outcome, he is changing the players in the drama.
Of note, Andy Miller has had success with clients and dealing with the Philadelphia 76ers. He currently represents Philadelphia 76ers senior statesman small forward Hollis Thompson, as well as newly acquired power forward Ersan Ilyasova.
It is also very much worth noting that his projected NEW agent does not represent any current Philadelphia 76ers. Of Fagen’s clients, his players ties tend to lean either towards the Sacramento Kings or the Denver Nuggets.
Apr 12, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) falls to the floor after colliding with Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel (4) in the first half at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
What is Noel’s End Game?
With so much controversy occurring in the public media, this is an interesting turn of events. It could be that Fagen has a lead on one or more NBA teams very interested in the services of Noel. It could be that Andy Miller is appalled at the tactics of the young Philadelphia 76ers center. It could be that Nerlens Noel feels that he was not getting value from his agent, and feels it’s time for a change.
But the bottom line to this entire situation is that a hole is being dug, and it’s directly beneath Nerlens Noel.
Lessons from veteran Elton Brand seem to have fallen on deaf ears:
At some point, someone close to Nerlens Noel needs to sit the young man down and talk to him.
Mar 12, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) during the national anthem prior to action against the Detroit Pistons at Wells Fargo Center. The Detroit Pistons won 125-111. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Economics Still Ruled By Supply Versus Demand
The players in the NBA are expensive, talented, and somewhat unpredictable commodities to the executives who run an NBA team. There is a supply of talent which is beyond the power of Nerlens Noel to impact.
His only leverage is upon the demand side. Showing up, good attitude, great court awareness, basketball production, community investment…. all are factors in setting Nerlens Noel up for his next team, his next opportunity, and his next contract. Perhaps the idea was to limit his current value to the Philadelphia 76ers that any deal would seem very appealing in comparison. But he is scaring off potential suitors in the process.
And so, his tactics of public frustration have all but flat-lined the value of trading Noel before the trade deadline. Certainly the team can part ways with the young man, but the long-term impact of his meltdown in Philadelphia will haunt him for the foreseeable future.
Dec 1, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) and center Jahlil Okafor (8) celebrate a score against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers won 103-91. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Change Tactics, Not Agents
Nerlens Noel is not a regular reader of my articles, but for this one time I wish he were a reader. I am no fan of Bryan Colangelo’s handling of this issue, and am on record with that opinion. On the same subject, I am two thumbs down on Nerlens Noel’s strategy from the get go.
He was a center looking for a major payday in the last year of his contract. And as the season neared, his anxiety rose. In the end, it was too much for the player, and he unleashed a tirade of questions directed to the Philadelphia 76ers front office.
He blew his stack, and nothing happened.
It jumped out at me when Nerlens Noel was a scratch back in October 2016. I am not about to claim that the knee surgery Noel elected was unnecessary, but it’s timing was critically poorly timed. When the Philadelphia 76ers needed Noel most, he became his own highest priority.
Minutes per game is not a legacy. It’s value that must be earned. Sometimes it’s earned by the performance in practice. Sometimes it’s earned by production in previous games. But it’s seldom earned by abandoning a team, electing surgery, and rehabbing away from a team that has just built a state of the art training facility.
Sep 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) dribbles the ball during media day at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Let’s Talk About Me…. For more than eight minutes…
Ultimately, Noel healed and returned to play ten minutes in a win against the Detroit Pistons. But he injured his ankle in that game, and the Philadelphia 76ers are conservative with injured players.
So his next outing with just eight minutes of playing time against the Los Angeles Lakers brought out another round of rant.
Enough already Nerlens. Enough.
While the Philadelphia 76ers are not close to a deal at this moment, per Steve Kyler of BasketballInsiders.com, Steve does bring up Noel it two separate mentions:
“The Philadelphia 76ers have conceded that center Nerlens Noel will not be part of the rotation going forward, at least for the time being. Noel has changed agents recently, and his representation and the 76ers are working together toward a trade and a solution. While there is some urgency to getting the public dispute resolved, there is not a sense that a trade is close. Noel is a pending free agent, so that complicates a deal value; then, factor in that opposing teams know that the 76ers need to make a deal and it’s easy to see why the team may be having a hard time extracting real value when one team is a motivated seller-Steve Kyler
Oh… I did say two mentions, didn’t I?
Dec 26, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Allen Crabbe (23) goes up for a dunk attempt on Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) during the third quarter of the game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Potential Trade Partners
Steve Kyler is someone worth following on twitter (@stevekylerNBA). He seems to keep things well in perspective, and does not let the winds of public opinion sway his perspective. He is no name-dropper, but he did name two teams to watch for on the potential Nerlens Noel trade:
There are a couple of teams to watch on the Noel front, the biggest being the Toronto Raptors. It is unlikely that the Raptors mess with their team chemistry in moving a core player, but if the 76ers want some of the Raptors’ young players or non-core parts, Toronto would have interest in Noel, according to sources close to the situation. It’s also believed the Portland Trail Blazers have eyes on Noel, but they may be unwilling to give up much in a deal.-Steve Kyler
The two teams mentioned each have a unique perspective. The Toronto Raptors have long been linked to Noel as both a plus for their team, as well as to keep him out of reach from their close conference rivals the Boston Celtics.
The Portland Trailblazers have been linked to Nerlens Noel since the off-season, but with the recent season ending injury to center Festus Ezeli, they have more motivation to make the trade as well. Additionally, Portland fans love the idea.
Let’s face it fans. Nerlens Noel is on the auction block now.
Mar 2, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel (4) drives to the basket against Toronto Raptors guard Louis Williams (23) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Raptors defeated the 76ers 114-103. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Dan Fagen, Come On Down!
And so, the wheels are in motion now. Whether or not the Philadelphia 76ers or Nerlens Noel wished for this outcome, the machine is whirring.
Nothing can stop the juggernaut.
Whatever else is in play, the Philadelphia 76ers still have an ace in the hole. The team can still make a qualifying offer, guaranteeing the team has the right to match any offer for Noel’s service in free agency.
GIven the erosion of Noel’s value, that may be an option down the road.
But nobody wants that at this moment. The 76ers and Noel’s new agent Dan Fagen are cooperating to find a new home for the young NBA center. Which team might that be? You can bet we will examine the possibilities closely.
For now, better settle in. The trade deadline is down the road, but it may take that deadline to squeeze NBA teams into making something happen.
In the end, this is the result of a new team president and a frustrated NBA player in the last year of his contract. But the ones who suffer? Well, they are the fans.
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