Nerlens Noel to re-sign with Thunder (for real this time)

Former Kentucky Wildcats center and current six-year NBA veteran Nerlens Noel has agreed to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to Woj.

This comes after the two sides reportedly reached an agreement on Sunday, but Noel wanted more time to make sure this was the best deal he could get.

After signing with the Thunder last summer, they became the third team Noel has played for in three years, starting with Philadelphia from 2016-2017 and then Dallas from 2017-2018. Now, it appears he’s found a real home with the Thunder.

After being selected sixth overall in the 2013 NBA draft, Noel has mostly had a disappointing career in the pros. The former Wildcat averaged 11.1 PPG and 8.1 RPG in his second year before slowly dwindling down over the last four seasons.

Most recently, Noel averaged a mere 4.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per contest for the Oklahoma City Thunder while playing just 13.7 minutes per night and starting only two of his career-high 77 games played.

Noel re-ups with the Thunder as an ultimate low-risk, high-reward signing. If he can suddenly prove his value in The Association, the 25-year old big man could very well rejuvenate his career.

However, that comes as a significant “if” considering his injury history dating back to his days spent at Kentucky (24 games) and averaging just 50 games per season as a pro. Noel’s attitude at times, specifically in Philadelphia and Dallas, hasn’t always been the greatest, but he seemed to do well last season in OKC.