USA Today
Nerlens Noel Rants Against The Sixers’ Front Office At Media Day
During the last couple of years, the Philadelphia 76ers have been a mess, which resulted in former general manager Sam Hinkie’s release. The team has a lot of upside though – they are very young and very talented and have just added #1 pick and basketball phenom Ben Simmons to the team. One thing the 76ers front office didn’t think to have worries about, is their loaded front court. Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, Dario Saric and Joel Embiid, who finally seems to be on track to play his first NBA season, after two injury-plagued years, will fight over the two starting spots.
Nerlens Noel, who was drafted 6th in 2013 by the Hornets and aquired by the Sixers in a trade dealing Jrue Holiday, has been with the Sixers in all of the team’s ‘tank years’ and is unhappy with the situation and stagnation the team has been in for the last couple of years. In an interview with Philly.com, he said that his situation needs to change.
“I think it’s just silly . . . this situation that we are in now with three starting centers. With the departure of Sam Hinkie, I would have figured that management would be able to get something done this summer. I think something needs to happen”
If Emiid is fully recovered and ready to play, Noel would most likely be found on the bench come tipoff. Embiid and Okafor seem to be the starting squad for now. Noel, who more or less has impressed in his last two seasons, averaging 10.5 PPG, 8.1 REB, 1.8 STL and 1.7 BLK, is in his final year of his four-year rookie deal. The deadline is October, 31 for the Sixers to extend his contract. If not, Noel will become a restricted free agent on July 1. The Sixers will have the right to match any offer he receives from another team, but if you think about him being a reserve all year long, his value may drop significantly and he might be a cheap target with loads of upside and value come next free agency for plenty of teams. I doubt, if he really has to play off the bench, that the Sixers would match an(y) offer.
“I feel like it definitely needs to be figured out. I think at the end of the day, again, you have three starting-caliber centers. And it’s just not going to work to anybody’s advantage having that on the same team. That’s how I’m looking at it. I’m not opposed to anything, but things need to be situated. Don’t get me wrong. We all get along great on the court and off the court, but at the end of the day, it’s like having three starting quarterbacks. It doesn’t make any sense.”
In my opinon, the Sixers would be best off trading Noel for a back court player. They need to improve their point and shooting guard positions and one thing they definitely do not need, are arguments and fights on the team. With an improving back court, a healthy Embiid and Ben Simmons, they could be in for some better years in the future.
