Nerlens Noel remains a likely trade candidate for the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers could be one of the teams looking to trade for the disgruntled big man.
Noel recently expressed concerns over the 76ers' frontcourt situation, insisting that Philly needs to address the team's current state of having "three starting centers," which "doesn't make sense" for the 22-year-old big man.
"I feel like it definitely needs to be figured out," Noel said, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I think at the end of the day, again, you have three starting-caliber centers. And it's just not going to work to anybody's advantage having that on the same team. That's how I'm looking at it. I'm not opposed to anything, but things need to be situated."
It is unclear whether who the 76ers would trade at this point, but Noel is clearly one of the candidates Philadelphia could move. If Noel becomes the available piece, one of the teams that should consider trading for him is the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers have plenty of talented bigs in their lineup, but none of them could make a major impact on the defensive end. Adding Noel would give the Lakers solid rim protection and would boost LA's interior defense, which was second to the bottom last season, according to Team Rankings.
Noel would also fit in playing Luke Walton's fast-paced offense. Noel's points last season mostly came from second point chances, but he has also shown he could finish at the break. At 22, Noel would also be a viable building block for the Lakers, who could develop a starting lineup of young talents.
Trading Nick Young should work under salary cap rules, but the 76ers would likely want a player like Lou Williams in return.
The 76ers lack depth at the backcourt despite the additions of Jerryd Bayless and Gerald Henderson this summer. Bringing in Williams should give Philadelphia backcourt piece who could come off as an offensive spark and facilitator from the second unit.
It is unclear whether the Lakers would consider such move, but it is a possibility they could explore with as long as Noel is deemed an expendable piece in Philadelphia.
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