If the Houston Rockets contacting the Philadelphia 76ers about a Nerlens Noel trade is any sign, the Dwight Howard era in Houston is truly over.
Howard opted out of his contract and will hit free agency this summer, which isn’t much of a surprise after a trio of awkward years playing with James Harden. Oh, and Houston just hired Mike D’Antoni as head coach, the guy who drove D12 off the Los Angeles Lakers after one season.
So no, no shock here that Sports Illustrated‘s Jake Fischer unearthed an offer the Rockets sent to the 76ers for Noel:
In preliminary trade talks, Houston pitched the Sixers a package involving Trevor Ariza and Patrick Beverley for Nerlens Noel, per source.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 23, 2016
Philadelphia holds the first pick in the draft and figures to take LSU’s Ben Simmons, but wouldn’t mind adding more talent while unloading one of the depth chart’s many talented big men. Noel, Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor have formed a logjam of sorts and the team taking Simmons doesn’t help the backcourt improve.
The alleged trade offer from Houston, however, does. Patrick Beverley won’t blow anyone away, but he’s a veteran presence who can at least hold the position down for a year or two while the roster improves.
More interesting in this scenario is Houston’s haul, though. Noel is just 22 years old and coming off a season in which he averaged 11.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. In theory, he could be a surefire starter for a long time if he keeps developing properly and it gives the Rockets one less major area to think about when it pursues free agents this summer.
Again, these talks are preliminary. But as the countdown to the draft continues and even during the draft itself, it’s clear these are two franchises who could hear their names called together again soon.
