After being stunned because he was not taken in the top 5, Nerlens Noel was stunned again by being traded to the Philadelphia Sixers. He was originally drafted 6th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans. The Sixers traded their franchise player in Jrue Holiday for the young center out of Kentucky. While many Sixers’ fans believe this was a terrible trade, there are some pros and cons to this trade:
Pros
If healthy, Noel will flourish in Philly (via SBNation)
- They traded for who most people believed to be the #1 overall pick
- If healthy, Noel can provide the MUCH needed defensive interior presence
- At 19 years of age, he has a lot of time to develop, could become NBA star
- Likely 2 lottery picks for 2014 draft (possibly draft Andrew Wiggins), stockpiling young talent
- Creates cap space for the upcoming free agency
- Still able to use 11th overall pick to draft Michael-Carter Williams to replace Holiday
Cons
Holiday could’ve been one of the great Sixers (via Wikimedia)
- Traded away 2nd All-Star in 2 years
- Jrue Holiday was shaping up to be the face of the franchise
- Holiday had great potential to be amongst the best point guards in the league
- Nerlens Noel will not play until December
- Noel’s offensive game is still raw
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