Nerlens Noel is signing a one-year, $3.1 million deal with the Sacramento Kings, according to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Noel played for the Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets last season.
Noel appeared in only 17 games last season with the Pistons and Nets. He averaged 2.1 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 36.1% from the field and 66.7% from the free-throw line. The Kentucky product gives the Kings a defensive presence in the frontline rotation.
The 29-year-old Noel has career averages of 7.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.5 blocks with the Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Pistons and Nets. He was the sixth overall pick in the 2013 draft but missed his entire rookie season with the Sixers recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in college.
The Kings made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2006. They lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round in seven games. Sacramento re-signed Harrison Barnes, Trey Lyles and Alex Len, extended Domantas Sabonis and traded for Chris Duarte from the Indiana Pacers this summer.
The Pistons were interested in trading for Duarte, an NBA executive told NBA Analysis Network. The Kings, however, beat the Pistons to the punch.
Sabonis and the Kings agreed to a five-year, $217 million renegotiate-and-extend deal. The All-Star forward was entering the final season of a four-year, $74.9 million contract that was set to pay him $19.4 million in 2023-24.
Len and Noel will back up Sabonis, who has career averages of 15.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists with the Thunder, Pacers and Kings. Sabonis is the son of Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis.
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