NBA Free Agency 2017: One signing every team should make

Dallas Mavericks: Nerlens Noel

This truthfully wasn’t a difficult decision to come to. The Dallas Mavericks have already made it apparent that their plans for this offseason almost wholly center around re-signing Nerlens Noel. After trading for him at the deadline, they are at risk of losing him to a degree. However, that won’t be the case if they get their way. It seems like an all-out pursuit to make sure he’s retained is in order and, frankly, it’s not hard to see why that’s the case given the flashes he showed in his brief time with Dallas this past season.

After largely being lost in the frontcourt of the Philadelphia 76ers, Noel arrived with the Mavericks and thrived in a limited role. The now-23-year old played in 22 games for Dallas and saw the floor for 22 minutes per game. Though he didn’t play a starring role, he showed enough to make the Mavericks believe that he could not far down the line.

Noel averaged 14 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.6 steals per 36 minutes while in Dallas, showcasing his two-way ability and his upside in this league. With Dirk Nowitzki set to make his way into the sunset, the Mavericks have to be looking to their future, and Noel is a player that could lead them in that direction.

Thus, it would be a critical loss to the organization if they were unable to retain him. While it seems that they should be able to, Mark Cuban and the Mavericks front office shouldn’t play their cards too close to the vest here. They need to go all-out in their pursuit and do whatever is necessary to keep the big man.