Mavericks center Nerlens Noel will take his chances as an unrestricted free agent next summer after accepting the team’s $4.1 MM qualifying offer for this season. There were conflicting reports about whether Dallas ever offered a four-year deal in the $70MM range, but regardless, the third-year big man is committed to one more season with the Mavs for less than he made last year.
The lack of interest is partially the plight of being a restricted free agent, but ESPN’s Kevin Pelton [Insider account] isn’t sure Noel will get the max offer he wants in 2018.
There will be fewer teams with money to spend, as Pelton identifies just six franchises that appear to have the cap room to extend a max offer. One of those is the Lakers, who figure to have their eyes on bigger prizes than Noel. The Pacers with Myles Turner and the Jazz with Rudy Gobert won’t be spending money on another center, and the Sixers don’t figure to bring Noel back to town.
That leaves just the Hawks, who could have more than $30MM available if Dewayne Dedmon and Mike Muscala both turn down their player options, and the Bulls, who seem destined to have more than $40MM and might be ready for a new direction in the middle.
Pelton notes that it has been a particularly rough summer for free agent centers, with Pau Gasol getting the largest contract by re-signing with the Spurs for $49MM over three years. With many teams de-emphasizing the position and others already set, unrestricted free agency won’t gurantee Noel the payday he wants.
Both Atlanta and Chicago are tanking this year and the 2018 class is loaded with big men. Noel’s attitude is going to push him out the league. Nobody wants an injury prone big man who has off the court problems and thinks he’s better than what he is. Otto was at least offered the max before Washington matched, Nerlens is just being greedy.
What are his off the court problems…besides being a UK cheater? :)
Noel is laughable. The draft will feature ready big men and Chicago&Atlanta figure to be in position to get them. There will be no market for him then either.
He should take a deal around $8-10MM that he will probably get offered, since thats the most he’s worth at this point next season if nothing changes.
Annually that is*
Kind of crazy that Pau got the biggest deal of all centers this offseason.
Don’t understand why some who puts average numbers is askin for a max contract
Bad representation
Nice role player but that’s it
Nerlens will get between 20-22 million a year. Tristan Thompson & De Andre Jordan signed for 18 & 20 million per year…comparable big men. Nerlens has a very rare talent that is hard to come by in the NBA and is usually underappreciated by basement teams, much more appreciated on a Championship contender, where defense is paramount to their success. Nerlens mobility, rim protection and ability to guard and switch onto guards off the pic-n-roll is huge for a team like Houston, San Antonio, Cleveland & Golden State. Rim protectors are damn near extinct in the NBA. Could you imagine a shot blocker on Cleveland or San Antonio, the Warriors would be in trouble. Players like Draymond, Nerlens & Iguodala are multi-facet players who do all the little things. Players that do the dirty work and the little things usually are the difference makers in every championship series. Every eventual NBA Champion has a grit & grind guy like Draymond, Nerlens & Iguodala. But if you’re the Warriors, you probably have two of these type of players…Draymond & Iguodala. Nerlens scores some, rebounds well, blocks shots, gets steals, overall a very solid big man who does a little bit of everything.