2. Nerlens Noel
Of all the players on this list, Noel is clearly the least accomplished, but he’s a fascinating player, nonetheless.
With the return of Joel Embiid, the 76ers have made it clear that they’re looking to get rid of one of their two big guys, Noel or Jahlil Okafor, and the Nuggets could be in a position to pounce.
Not many people have seen much of Noel the last two years — the 76ers haven’t exactly been, uh, watchable — but he’s one of the best defensive prospects in the NBA, averaging 1.7 blocks and 1.8 steals a game through his first two NBA seasons.
If the Nuggets are truly looking to go with a two-big-man lineup, a Noel-Jokic pairing makes a lot more sense to me than a Nurkic-Jokic pairing. Offensively, I could see them running a very similar pick-and-roll game that we’ve come to see from DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin in LA, and defensively, Noel would have the athleticism to step out onto fours while Jokic defends the five.
And with Philadelphia likely looking to move him sooner than later, and with his injury history growing longer and longer (he just underwent another minor knee procedure), the Nuggets might be able to get a good deal.
