Hornets Showed "Exploratory Interest" in Nerlens Noel

Between Mark Williams' back injury and an early season concussion suffered by Nick Richards, quality play at the five has been hard to come by in Charlotte. Following a busy trade deadline and subsequent roster moves, the Hornets' still lack size on their roster.

According to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, help may come in the form of veteran center Nerlens Noel. Noel, 29, was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2013 after spending one year at the University of Kentucky. His offensive impact has always been limited, but his value lies on the defensive end. The former lottery pick averages more than a steal and a block per game in his ten year career, peaking in 2020-21 when he averaged 2.2 blocks playing for the New York Knicks.

Noel last suited up for the Brooklyn Nets on a ten day contract last spring. Following Brooklyn, he spent training camp with the Sacramento Kings before getting waived in September. 

Following the trade deadline, Charlotte has played elite basketball on the defensive end during their three game winning streak. Noel could slot in well alongside the current roster as an interior enforcer on the defensive end and as a rim-running big to pair with LaMelo Ball on the offensive end. 

The fit for Noel makes sense, and if Charlotte is pursuing a depth piece this late in the season, they could do significantly worse than Noel.