Nerlens Noel

Nerlens Noel
Born	(1994-04-10) April 10, 1994 Malden, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2013–present
Known for	NBA player for Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons

Nerlens Noel (born April 10, 1994) is an American professional basketball athlete who most recently played for the Brooklyn Nets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). His time at the University of Kentucky was cut short due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Selected sixth overall in the 2013 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans, his rights were immediately traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Noel operates primarily as a center and power forward, and was among the elite high school prospects in the 2012 recruiting class.

High school career

Originating from Malden, Massachusetts to parents who immigrated from Haiti, Noel spent his first two high school years at Everett High School before transferring to New Hampshire’s Tilton School. He advanced his recruitment timeline by reclassifying from 2013 to 2012. In his senior year, he posted averages of 12.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks per contest.

Ranked as the top player in the 2012 class by ESPN and Scout.com, and second by SLAM, Noel participated in prestigious events such as the 2012 Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic. He also played AAU basketball alongside future teammate Michael Carter-Williams. Prior to graduating, he was widely regarded as one of the premier shot blockers of his generation while showing promising offensive development.

College career

In April 2012, Noel committed to play NCAA Division I basketball at the University of Kentucky, famously unveiling his choice by shaving the UK logo into his hair during a national broadcast. Renowned for his exceptional shot-blocking skills, he was anticipated to succeed Anthony Davis, who had led Kentucky to a national title and set freshman block records.

During just his third collegiate game on November 16, 2012, Noel contributed 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, and 4 steals against Lafayette. On January 12, 2013, despite Kentucky’s defeat to Texas A&M, he delivered a notable performance with 15 points, 11 rebounds, 7 blocks, 6 assists, and 4 steals.

Noel broke the UK single-game block record on January 29, 2013, with an astounding 12 blocks in an 87–74 victory over No. 16-ranked Ole Miss. Remarkably, five of these blocks occurred while he had four personal fouls, including two that prevented slam dunks. This achievement surpassed the previous mark of nine blocks. Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy praised him as "an incredible defensive presence," while player Murphy Holloway called him the "best shot blocker" he had encountered.

On February 12, 2013, Noel suffered a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee during a matchup against the Florida Gators. Before this injury, he was widely projected as the leading candidate for the top pick in the 2013 NBA draft. Despite this challenge, he declared for the draft on April 15, 2013.

Throughout his college tenure, Noel earned numerous accolades including SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, SEC First Team honors, SEC All-Freshman Team recognition, and placement on the SEC Community Service Team. Both coaches and the Associated Press selected him for first-team All-SEC distinctions.

He was named to the Freshman All-America team alongside players such as Anthony Bennett, Shabazz Muhammad, Marcus Smart, and Ben McLemore. Under coach John Calipari, Noel became the fifth Kentucky player to receive USBWA Freshman All-America honors, joining ranks with notable talents like John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

Philadelphia 76ers (2013–2017)

After completing one year at the University of Kentucky, Noel declared for the 2013 NBA draft, where he was widely anticipated to be a top selection and a leading candidate for the first overall pick. However, due to concerns about his torn left ACL, he slid down to the sixth pick, which was used by the New Orleans Pelicans. Shortly after, his draft rights were traded to the Philadelphia 76ers along with a 2014 first-round pick in exchange for guard Jrue Holiday and the rights to Pierre Jackson. The transaction was finalized on July 12, 2013, and Noel signed with Philadelphia on September 24, 2013. Although he was expected to participate in the 2013–14 Philadelphia 76ers season, he missed the entire year as he recovered from knee surgery.

Noel took part in the 2014 NBA Summer League with the 76ers and made his NBA debut on October 29, 2014, delivering six points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks in almost 35 minutes of play. Two days later, Philadelphia exercised their option for the third year of his rookie contract, extending it through the 2015–16 season. On January 30, he achieved a then-career-best six blocks along with 14 points, six rebounds, and four steals during a victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He was selected for Team USA in the 2015 Rising Stars Challenge. On February 20, Noel posted 12 points, nine rebounds, four steals, and set a personal record with nine blocks. A week afterward, he became only the third rookie in 76ers history to accumulate over 100 blocks in a single season.

On October 30, 2015, Philadelphia picked up their fourth-year option on Noel's contract, securing him through the 2016–17 campaign. He notched a season-high 20 points along with nine rebounds on December 30 during a win over the Sacramento Kings. Unfortunately, right knee tendinitis sidelined him from participating in that year's Rising Stars Challenge.

On October 22, 2016, Noel underwent surgery to address an inflamed plica above his left knee and was expected to miss three to five weeks. Following rehab stints with the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League, he returned to action on December 11 but exited early due to a left ankle sprain.

Stepping in for an injured Joel Embiid on January 24, 2017, Noel scored a season-best 19 points and added three blocks during a win against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Dallas Mavericks (2017–2018)

Noel was traded to the Dallas Mavericks on February 23, 2017, in exchange for Justin Anderson, Andrew Bogut, and a protected first-round pick in the 2017 draft. He made his debut two days later off the bench with nine points and ten rebounds in a 96–83 victory over his former team, the New Orleans Pelicans. On March 3, starting for Dallas for the first time, Noel matched his career high with 17 rebounds and scored 15 points in a narrow win against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Following the season, on June 23, 2017, Dallas extended a qualifying offer worth $4.1 million to Noel, designating him as a restricted free agent. He agreed to this one-year contract offer on August 26 and officially re-signed two days later. In the opening game of that season on October 18, Noel contributed a double-double with 16 points and eleven rebounds despite a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

On December 8, 2017, Noel underwent thumb ligament surgery on his left hand which sidelined him for 42 games. He returned on February 28, 2018, against the Oklahoma City Thunder, adding four points and three rebounds in an overtime defeat. On March 6, he grabbed a season-high of fourteen rebounds during a win over the Denver Nuggets. However, on April 3, Noel received a five-game suspension without pay due to violating the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2018–2020)

On July 6, 2018, Noel secured a two-year deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He delivered a standout performance on October 28, 2018, tallying 20 points and 15 rebounds in a 117–110 victory against the Phoenix Suns. Later, on December 31, he contributed 15 points in just 15 minutes during a commanding 122–102 win over the Dallas Mavericks. However, on January 8, 2019, Noel suffered a concussion following an in-game collision, causing him to miss the subsequent three contests.

New York Knicks (2020–2022)

Noel inked a one-year contract with the New York Knicks on November 25, 2020, reportedly valued at $5 million. He made his Knicks debut on December 23, posting two points and three rebounds in a defeat to the Indiana Pacers. On January 15, 2021, he recorded a season-best six blocks in a close loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. His highest scoring output that season occurred on March 21 with 13 points and ten rebounds during an overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. On May 5, Noel added six blocks along with five points and rebounds in a defeat versus the Denver Nuggets. The Knicks concluded the season with a 41–31 record, clinching their first playoff appearance since 2013 but were eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks in five games. Notably, Noel posted 12 points and eight rebounds in Game 3.

On August 11, 2021, Noel agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Knicks worth $32 million. He logged a season-high 13 rebounds with six points and four steals on November 5 during a victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Again on January 24, 2022, he secured 13 rebounds in a narrow loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Unfortunately, his season was cut short on February 7 due to plantar fasciitis.

Detroit Pistons (2022–2023)

On July 11, 2022, Noel was traded alongside Alec Burks to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for draft rights to Nikola Radičević and a protected second-round pick for 2025. He made his Pistons debut on October 31, contributing two points, four rebounds, and two assists in a tight 110–108 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks. On February 28, 2023, Noel reached a buyout agreement with Detroit and was subsequently waived.

Brooklyn Nets (2023)

Noel signed a short-term 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets on March 6, 2023.

He later signed with the Sacramento Kings on July 21, 2023; however, he was waived by the team on September 12.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia | 75 || 71 || 30.8 || .462 || || .609 || 8.1 || 1.7 || 1.8 || 1.9 || 9.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia |67||62||29.3||.521||.500||.590||8.1||1.8||1.8||1.5||11.1 |- | rowspan=2 style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia |29||7||19.4||.611||.000||.683||5.0||1.0||1.4||.9||8.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Dallas |22||12||22.0||.575|| ||.708||6.8||.9||1.0||1.1||8.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Dallas |30||6||15.7||.524||.000||.750||5.6||.7||1.0||.7||4.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Oklahoma City |77 ||2 ||13.7 || .587 || || .684 ||4.2 || .6 || .9 ||1.2 ||4.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Oklahoma City |61 ||7 ||18.5 || .684 || .333 || .755 ||4.9 || .9 ||1.0 ||1.5 ||7.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|New York |64 ||41 ||24.2 || .614 || .000 || .714 ||6.4 || .7 ||1.1 || 2.2 ||5.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|New York |25 ||11 ||22.5 || .533 || .000 || .700 ||5.6 || .9 ||1.2 ||1.2 ||3.4 |- | rowspan=2 style="text-align:left;" |

| style="text-align:left;" |Detroit
|14||3||10.9|| .400 || .500 || .700 ||2.6|| .5|| .9|| .6||2.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Brooklyn
|3||1||14.3|| .167|||| .500 ||3.0||1.0||1.0||0.3||1.0

|- class="sortbottom"

|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
|467||223||22.0|| .546 || .200 || .655 ||6.1||1.1||1.3||1.5||7.1

Playoff Performance

|- | style="text-align:left;"|2019 | style="text-align:left;"|Oklahoma City Thunder | 5 || 0 || 12.0 || .600 || || .000 || 3.8 || .0 || .4 || .6 || 4.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2020 | style="text-align:left;"|Oklahoma City Thunder | 7 || 0 || 13.9 || .471 || .000 || .500 || 4.1 || .4 || .3 || .7 || 3.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2021 | style="text-align:left;"|New York Knicks | 5 || 2 || 18.4 || .500 || || .813 || 4.0 || .2 || .8 || .6 || 4.6 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Overall Playoff Career | 17 || 2 || 14.6 || .532 || .000 || .643 || 4.0 || .2 || .5 || .6 || 4.0

University Statistics

|- | style="text-align:left;"|2012–13 | style="text-align:left;"|Kentucky Wildcats | 24 || 24 || 31.9 || .590 || || .529 || 9.5 || 1.6 || 2.1 || 4.4 || 10.5

Personal Background

Noel’s family emigrated from Haiti in the year 1990. He is one of four siblings, with two elder brothers and a younger sister; notably, both of his older brothers competed in Division I collegiate football—Jim represented Boston College, while Rodman played for North Carolina State.

External links

• Kentucky Wildcats profile