Mavs 'Touch Base' with Pistons on Nerlens Noel Trade
When the Dallas Mavericks signed 34-year-old center JaVale McGee in free agency, it was done with the idea that he'd add some much-needed rim protection that was lacking in the team's Western Conference Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors. Unfortunately for Dallas, though, its vision for McGee hasn't been realized, as he lost his starting spot just nine games into the season and has now racked up five DNP-CDs.
According to a report from SNY's Ian Begley, the Mavs might be trying to find that extra rim protection by trading for old pal Nerlens Noel.
"Also on the trade front, the Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons touched base recently on trade talks in which Nerlens Noel’s name came up," Begley writes. "Noel, the former Knick, has drawn interest from several contending teams who have struggled with rim protection. Noel was a key force for New York’s defense in 2021, when the club made a surprise run to the playoffs."
The Mavs traded for Noel once before with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2017, but the attempted reclamation project didn't go past the 2017-18 season. Since then, the Mavs have remodeled their front office and coaching situations, and Noel has had productive stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks.
For his career, Noel averages 7.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 22.3 minutes per game. His fit with the Mavs would be much better this time around, not only because they have a specific need for what he brings to the table, but also because MVP candidate Luka Doncic is part of the equation now.
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