Fansided

5 trade destinations for Nerlens Noel

By John Buhler

Apr 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) dunks during the third quarter of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center. The Milwaukee Bucks won 109-108 in OT. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) dunks during the third quarter of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center. The Milwaukee Bucks won 109-108 in OT. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports /
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Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel reportedly wants out. Here are five potential trade destinations for the Philadelphia center.

On Tuesday, Pro Basketball Talk’s Kurt Helin reported that Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel wants out of town. It has been a frustrating four years in Philadelphia for Noel and he wants the 76ers to trade him.

Noel hasn’t appeared a game for the 2016-17 76ers, as he recovers from minor surgery to his left knee in the offseason. Though he was drafted in 2013 No. 6 overall, Noel has only played in two of his four NBA seasons to date.

When healthy, Noel is a solid rim protector and low-post presence. In the right situation, Noel can help several NBA frontcourts in the coming years. If he wants out of Philadelphia, here are five teams that the 76ers could send Noel to this season.

5. Portland Trail Blazers

One of the more obvious places that Noel could be shipped to would be the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland is a lousy defensive team that offers no rim protection for head coach Terry Stotts. The Trail Blazers are dead last in defensive rating, 23rd in defensive rebounding, and sixth in opponent offensive rebounding per game.

In short, the Trail Blazers are hovering around .500 in the Western Conference because they cannot protect the rim. They have a strong backcourt with players like Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, but this team won’t be more than a first-round exit in the 2017 NBA Playoffs if Portland doesn’t improve defensively at the rim.

Noel would fit in seamlessly in Portland and could improve all-around under a great player development coach in Stotts. The only problem is that he won’t be able to aid Portland immediately because Noel is recovering from knee surgery. If he was able to come in and contribute right away, Noel’s defensive presence would certainly offset the Festus Ezeli injury down low.

Portland has the rotational wing players that Philadelphia could want in a trade. Does Portland want another often-injured center in the Pacific Northwest is the bigger question? Trading for Noel might help the Trail Blazers in the long-term, but Portland isn’t ready to punt this season just yet, or will they even think about it.

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