The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly interested in Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel, but it remains to be seen what pieces LA would include in any potential deal for the young center.
Los Angeles could be looking to explore the trade market after all, despite words from Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak that the team is unlikely to make moves before the February 2018 trade deadline. According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the Lakers have shown interest in acquiring Nerlens Noel, who has been the subject of several trade talks in the past.
"The Lakers have inserted themselves on trade talks this season and will continue to do so. They had talks with Atlanta about Paul Millsap and expressed interest in Nerlens Noel, if the Sixers decide to go ahead with a deal for him," Deveney wrote.
It would be surprising if the Lakers truly have genuine interest in adding another center, especially with Los Angeles already loaded in the frontcourt. But from a rebuilding perspective, Noel could be the most ideal acquisition for the Lakers at this point.
Noel is a young center who could grow and develop alongside the Lakers' core of young talents in Brandon Ingram, D'Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle. Despite only averaging 7.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game this season, Noel's ability to protect the rim makes him a fitting piece for Luke Walton's rotation in Los Angeles and should see him as a suitable tandem to Timofey Mozgov.
Trading for Noel won't be too expensive for the Lakers, with the 22-year-old center set to become a restricted free agent this coming summer, setting his low value in the trade market. In the same report, Deveney also noted that league sources believe the Lakers have not included the majority of their young talents in any trade discussions, which could mean any potential deal for Noel would probably involve some of LA's veterans.
Nick Young has long been considered as the Lakers' expendable piece, but his new-found role with the team could see him finish his deal in Tinsel town. According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, there may not be a market for Young in the trading season because the 31-year-old shooting guard no longer have suitors in the league.
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the 76ers desperately need to add shooters in their lineup, and Young's average this season of 13.9 points per game on 45.0 percent shooting from the field (42.9 percent from three-point territory) could fill that void.
Adding Young could also be a win-win situation for the 76ers. Young is likely to opt out of his player option after this season, making him an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2017. While it could make him a one-year rental for the 76ers, if Philadelphia won't be able to convince Young to stay for a few more years, letting him go would provide the franchise added cap space to chase other veteran talents in free agency.
A deal that could work for both teams is a straight swap of Noel for Young, although it is still unclear whether the 76ers would want Young as part of any package.
The Lakers seem in no rush to make any moves before the deadline, especially if they won't make it to the playoffs for the fourth-straight year. If the Lakers would agree to deal for Noel, it would most likely be for retooling for the next season.
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