Dallas Mavericks Make Re-signing Nerlens Noel Their Top Priority This Offseason
A lot of pundits believe that the Dallas Mavericks are going to go hard after Jrue Holiday once the free agency period begins on July 1. They probably will. However, it seems he's not their top priority this summer.
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Mavericks will prioritize re-signing Nerlens Noel.
The Philadelphia 76ers shipped Noel to Dallas back in February and he has played fairly well in limited minutes since he joined the team in February. In 22 games (12 starts) with the Mavericks, Noel averaged 8.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and a steal. He also shot 57.5 percent from the field.
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Noel has shown flashes of his potential in the last few seasons and he may develop into the defensive stalwart that the Mavericks have been looking for. He's already an exceptional rim protector and he can easily keep up with guards and wings when he switches out on the perimeter. He just needs experience more than anything else at this point in his career.
The Mavericks can match any offer Noel receives in free agency since he is a restricted free agent. However, there's a chance that teams will offer him a max deal, so the Mavericks may have to spend a lot of money to make him stay.
Right now, Noel is not a max player by any means. But that doesn't seem to matter for the Mavericks and they are going to hold on to him no matter what.
Stein also said that the Mavericks want to bring him back and focus on developing him along with the others in their young core.
Aside from Noel, Harrison Barnes and Seth Curry also improved by leaps and bounds last season and the Mavericks want to keep them together to see what they can do. The team also took Dennis Smith Jr. with the ninth pick in last week's draft.
