The Smoking Cuban
FanSided

Three options if Dallas Mavericks don’t land DeAndre Jordan

By Kohl Rast

OAKLAND, CA - MAY 26: Clint Capela #15 of the Houston Rockets looks to pass against Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Six of the Western Conference Finals in the 2018 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on May 26, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - MAY 26: Clint Capela #15 of the Houston Rockets looks to pass against Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Six of the Western Conference Finals in the 2018 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on May 26, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
SACRAMENTO, CA – APRIL 4: Nerlens Noel #3 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on April 4, 2017 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA – APRIL 4: Nerlens Noel #3 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on April 4, 2017 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Nerlens Noel

My last choice is a familiar name and one people would probably not expect from me. If the Mavs strikeout again, maybe they should look to give Nerlens a 2nd chance. There is a possibility that the bridges have already been burned between Dallas’ front office and Nerlens, but if there is a chance at reconciliation, the chance of getting the 24-year-old back on the court may be worth the risk.

Noel is going to want a team that will give him a short contract and an opportunity to prove that he can be an anchor for the team. Dallas has that opportunity, but they may need to swallow their pride a little bit in order to land it.

I don’t see Noel as a real, legitimate option for Dallas, but I wish they would reconsider simply because of his strength and his age. If somehow things all clicked together the way we hoped they would this year, Dallas would have yet another young guy that they could work with over time.

Noel averaged only 15.7 minutes per game in 30 games this season. If he is healthy this year and shows what he can do on the court during practices, there would be reason to believe the Mavs would be very interested in him. After all, they did trade away Justin Anderson and two second-round picks for him.

Next: Dallas Mavericks free agency preview

Noel is certainly not an ideal choice but, similar to Lopez, he would offer the Mavs a filler player for a year while they look forward to the 2019 free agency period. That gives the Mavs a year to develop their youngsters and puts us in a great position for next summer.