Mavs One of 'Most Engaged' Teams for Pistons' Nerlens Noel Trade
The Dallas Mavericks have been named in several NBA trade rumors as trade season is rapidly cranks up.
One of those rumors includes a potential reunion with former Maverick and current Detroit Pistons center Nerlens Noel.
First reported by SNY's Ian Begley on Dec. 8, the Mavericks 'touched base' with the Pistons in efforts to improve their rebounding and rim protection.
In a recent report from The Athletic's James L. Edwards III on Tuesday, the Mavericks are among the 'most engaged' teams regarding a potential trade for Noel.
League sources, who were granted anonymity so that they could speak freely, have told The Athletic that the Pistons are looking to move the veteran big man. Both sides have agreed that a deal is best for both parties, and Detroit has already had talks with rival teams about Noel. Portland, Sacramento, Miami and Dallas have been the teams most engaged when it comes to acquiring the 28-year-old.
Edwards noted that, along with Dallas being engaged in the veteran center, Portland, Sacramento, and Miami have also shown interest.
Though, Noel isn't the only big man that the Mavs have been linked to. Dallas has been mentioned to have interest in Atlanta's John Collins, who has found himself in trade rumors for essentially his entire career.
Noel has only played in six games so far this season, as he finds himself behind the youth movement in Detroit, averaging just 1.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. The 28-year-old has also been battling foot and knee soreness throughout the first quarter of the season.
The first go-around with Dallas and Noel didn't work out as planned back in 2017-18, but this time around could be different with a new regime – and Luka Doncic – at the helm. The need for Noel's defense at the rim is vast and finding chemistry with Doncic in the pick-and-roll would be easy to build upon ... at least in theory.
Trading for Noel is about as low risk, high reward for the Mavericks as it gets when it comes to a potential big man upgrade over JaVale McGee, leaving them with the majority of their trade assets to improve the roster elsewhere.
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