Sacramento Kings reach agreement with Nerlens Noel
Jul 18, 2023, 11:46 AM | Updated: 12:04 pm
(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The Sacramento Kings have reached an agreement with free agent center Nerlens Noel on a one-year, $3.1 million deal, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Noel, 29, spent the 2022-23 season with the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons, where he averaged 2.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game over 17 appearances.
The sixth-overall pick from the 2013 NBA Draft has dealt with various lower-body injuries during his career, but Noel is a legitimate rim-protector when healthy.
Over 467 career games, Noel has averaged 1.5 blocks per game during his nine-year career.
Free agent C Nerlens Noel has agreed on a one-year, $3.1M deal with the Sacramento Kings, his agent @georgelangberg of GSL Sports Group tells ESPN. Noel gives the Kings a defensive presence in the frontline rotation.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 18, 2023
The move to bring Noel in was needed for a team that ranked 29th in blocks and 20th in steals as the Kings struggled to protect the rim and disrupt opposing offenses.
Noel was a solid rim protector during the 2018-22 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks, averaging 1.6 blocks and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 62 percent from the field.
As questions continued to surround Sacramento’s approach to the defensive end of the floor, Kings general manager Monte McNair made his move to strengthen the paint for the 2023-24 season.
Sacramento now has Domantas Sabonis, Alex Len, and Noel under contract at the center position, while Trey Lyles can also play small-ball five in certain situations.
Sabonis is a force on the glass and the offensive end in the paint, Len makes an impact with his physicality and hard screens, and Lyles can space the floor.
Now, the Kings have a shot-blocker that head coach Mike Brown can call on if Sacramento runs into trouble down low.
Sacramento Kings Offseason Schedule
- Friday, July 7 –Monday, July 17– NBA Summer League in Las Vegas
- August TBD – 2023-24 NBA regular season schedule release
- September TBD – Sacramento Kings training camp begins
- October TBD – Sacramento Kings preseason begins
- October TBD – NBA regular season begins
Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
