Philadelphia’s Nerlens Noel hasn’t tried to hide his unhappiness. Should the Raptors try to acquire the talented big man?
Many of you commented on a trade proposal I floated in November, in which the Toronto Raptors dumped Patrick Patterson and a first-rounder for the 76ers’ Nerlens Noel.
Whether the NBA press is making stuff up or not, there’s commentary from Basketball Insiders about interest from Toronto’s side in Noel. Since Masai Ujiri’s underlings in the front office take a vow of silence as part of their on-the-job training (well, maybe not exactly, but it sure seems that way), whoever’s doing the talking is in Philadelphia.
Portland is also mentioned as a possible destination for Noel, a youthful, tall and lean center who’s tired of sitting. He was the #6 pick in the 2014 draft, but hasn’t played a lot due to injury and internal competition.
It’s late December – nothing is the same
A lot has changed in Raptorland since I wrote that proposal. 2-Pat has rediscovered his shooting stroke. Lucas Nogueira has advanced from a garbage-time-only option to Jonas Valanciunas’ reliable backup at center. Norman Powell continues to press his case for more minutes.
Dec 20, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin (7) controls the ball as he is guarded by Toronto Raptors guard Terrence Ross (31) at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Nets 116-104. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
There’s a compelling case for making no moves at all. The Raptors prize continuity, which, like experience, is a quality only available over time. The rewards of roster stability are evident this season which, by any metric you’d like to apply, is vying to be the best in franchise history.
Nevertheless, grabbing a rim protector like Noel would be a coup. I’m wondering if this deal makes sense for both sides:
The deal works in the ESPN Trade Machine because Philly is so far below the salary cap, they can easily absorb $5.6 million more for this season to acquire T-Ross. Interestingly, the ESPN algorithm calculates 9 more wins for Philly, and 3 fewer for Toronto, as a result of the trade. I don’t buy that on either side, but I add the data for the sake of balance and completeness.
Noel may not be as happy as T-Ross should this deal transpire. He’d be leaving a team with a crowded frontcourt to join another. T-Ross, on the other hand, would likely step into the starting lineup of a shooting-starved squad.
The Raptors would be able to earmark the $20 million they wouldn’t be spending on T-Ross over the two seasons for someone else, like, say, Kyle Lowry.
If Noel looked like he and Bebe Nogueira could make Toronto’s paint an opponents’ nightmare for years to come, the stage might be set to move Jonas Valanciunas. At which point things get really interesting…
OK, Rapture Nation, what do you think?
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