The Philadelphia 76ers are not having a good season and it also doesn't the team that Nerlens Noel is still out due to an injury. Now that the power forward had just undergone surgery and is expected to miss a couple of weeks, the 76ers could decide to just waive him from the roster.
Noel has been with the Philadelphia franchise since 2013 after his draft rights were traded to the 76ers. However, after signing with the team, he was ruled out for the rest of his rookie season after getting surgery on his knee.
Although he did pretty well during the 2014-2015 season, the same cannot be said for his third year with the team. Once again, during this season, Noel had problems with his knee.
This year, even before the season started, Noel was ruled out for up to five weeks after it was discovered that he had an inflamed plica on his left knee. He was then recommended to undergo surgery and is now expected to miss more games with the 76ers.
Due to his absence, the Philadelphia squad has been relying on Dario Saric and Ersan Ilyasova to handle the forward spots.
Given Noel's history with injuries and the recurring issues with his knees, the 76ers might decide to part ways with the power forward. One way they could do this is by waiving Noel and signing someone from the NBA's D-league or the free agency pool. Or, they could also explore trade options with other teams.
After all, during the offseason, team president Bryan Colangelo admitted that the roster has a surplus of big men, suggesting that he might be willing to trade one of his forwards or centers for a guard.
According to rumors, the Toronto Raptors might be interested in dealing with Philadelphia for Noel.
Last month, the Raptors lost power forward Jared Sullinger to a foot injury. Since it is not yet clear when he will be able to return, the Toronto franchise could engage in a trade deal with the 76ers.
But then again, given Noel's current situation, it seems the Raptors will be better off sticking with their current roster than bringing in another guy who's prone to injuries.
