Nerlens Noel (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The NBA trade rumors continue for the LA Lakers as they seek to fill out the huge void in the middle.
The Lakers now have some young talent with their rookies and sophomores. D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance, Jr. have caught the attention of most observers as real talent moving forward.
However, the caveat is that some of these rookies play the same position and do not address the team's greatest need: Rim protection and defense.
While current rumors have the Lakers addressing this in the offseason through free agency via Hassan Whiteside, that is nowhere near being a done deal. That's why it's imperative for the Lakers to make a move if they can.
Nerlens Noel of the Phildadelphia 76ers is fast developing into an elite defender but his team do not place much value on him because of the construction of their roster. ESPN ranks him second place in the team in terms of trade value, behind Jahlil Okafor.
"Noel ranks 18th in defensive RPM this season even though the Sixers have used him out of position about half the time," ESPN Insider's Bradford Doolittle noted. He has defensive player of the year potential but doesn't look like a great fit with Okafor for the long run. And the Sixers have a contingency option for a defensive anchor in Joel Embiid."
But the Sixers have a void in most of the other positions, which is why there are suggestions that they make a deal with the Lakers to address each other's needs. In previous articles, there were trade scenarios that saw Noel ending up with the Lakers, and the sentiment still stands.
In a post on Lakers team site Silver Screen and Roll, it was put forth that the Lakers can swap sophomores Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle for the Nerlens Noel and possibly the Sixers loosening the protection on the 2016 Draft pick. As it stands, the Lakers pick is only Top Three protected.
The Lakers would get their rim protector and push Nance and possibly Lou Williams as the starters. Clarkson is essentially a point guard and his combination with D'Angelo Russell seems less than ideal. While the Sixers may prefer Russell, Clarkson would not be a bad catch at all.
