According to a report from ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Toronto Raptors have expressed interest in trading for Philadelphia 76ers big man Nerlens Noel:
The Raptors are among the teams that have expressed interest in Philadelphia’s very available Nerlens Noel, but sources say Toronto’s initial preference in the wake of losing Jared Sullinger (foot) to injury is to give more minutes to various younger players (such as rookies Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl) so they get first crack at filling the void.
This wouldn’t be the first time that the Raptors have flirted with the idea of trading for the third-year centre. Back in June, Marc Stein reported that the Raptors sent the 76ers a package for Noel that included swing-man, Terrence Ross.
The Sullinger injury does create a void in the frontcourt, and while the Raptors’ rookie bigs have performed well it remains an area of need for the club. But is Noel the answer? Here are the pros and cons:
PRO:
Noel is a versatile defender and an elite rim protector who also has the ability to step out and defend the perimeter. He’s an athletic big that seems comfortable guarding the pick and roll, something the Raptors could desperately use help with, as currently Patrick Patterson is the only forward/centre on the roster who can pull that off consistently. What’s more, Noel’s length and quickness can cause problems for wing players trying to get to the rim, which is often too easy for opponents.
Playing alongside Jahlil Okafor last season, Noel defensive numbers slightly dropped, but according to NBA.com, in the 2014-2015 season opponents shot just 44.9% percent at the rim against the Kentucky product. That season Noel averaged a wildly impressive 1.9 blocks per game and 1.8 steals per game.
CONS:
While his game has improved, Noel is still extremely limited offensively. He does not have a consistent jump shot, struggles to finish at the rim when contested and has a high turnover rate— last season he averaged 2.4 per game, which ranked third-worst amongst power forwards. On top of all that, he cannot seem to stay healthy for an entire season. Noel underwent minor knee surgery the start of the season and is not expected to be back for another 2-3 weeks. This is a possible red flag, given Noel has suffered knee injuries in the past and missed his entire rookie season recovering from a torn ACL that likely caused him to fall to 6th in the 2013 draft.
VERDICT:
The Raptors need a stretch four to open up the floor for DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry to operate their offense and, unfortunately, Noel doesn’t fit the bill. Without question he would help the team defensively but coupling him next to Jonas Valanciunas in the front court would likely clog too many lanes and stagnant the offense. What’s more, the asking price won’t be cheap given Noel’s potential, and to give up a valuable asset for a player who, in the immediate future, projects to be a backup centre, may not be worthwhile for Toronto.
Noel has potential to fix his flaws- he’s only 22-years old- but for the time being, the Raptors are better off playing their young guys and waiting on Jared Sullinger to recover from his foot injury.
