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Big man more likely to finish this season on another team: DeMarcus Cousins, Nerlens Noel or Greg Monroe?
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David Aldridge: Noel, for sure. Monroe, maybe, but it would be harder if you don’t know for sure that he’s willing to sign a long-term deal with the team that deals for him. And I just don’t see Sacramento pulling the trigger on moving Cousins as long as Vivek Ranadive has breath in his body. Noel has made it clear he doesn’t like the current arrangement in Philly, and Philly’s GM has made it clear he knows they probably have to move one of the Sixers’ bigs. As I wrote in the Morning Tip, a relatively easy trade can be made with New Orleans to send Noel there, and Philly could get back a young guard like Langston Galloway, for example, who could help them right now.
Steve Aschburner: I’ll go with Greg Monroe. There’s no way the man they call “Moose” would have signed with Milwaukee had he known how diminished his role would be, coming off the bench for a team and coach who crave things he doesn’t bring (defense, rim protection, stretch capability). I don’t see Cousins going anywhere unless he raises such a ruckus that the Kings have to make a move. And while trading Noel is entirely reasonable, I think the Bucks impulsiveness and buyer’s remorse will beat Philadelphia to the punch.
Scott Howard-Cooper: All are trade candidates, especially Noel and Monroe. Cousins is more TBD. But if I have to pick one, I’ll say Noel (and I’m more pro-Noel than a lot of people) because he will draw more interest than Monroe. The 76ers will have options if he plays well. And if they have options at the same time Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor show they are healthy, while Ben Simmons works his way back as another promising big, the Sixers know they need to grab a trade opportunity. They have been wanting to for a while.
Shaun Powell: Nerlens Noel, if only because the Sixers are stacked at his position and can afford to swap him. That said, the choice should be Cousins, but the Kings for some reason are too spooked about trading him and somehow screwing it up.
John Schuhmann: Noel, though the Sixers would be better off trading Jahlil Okafor instead. It will be tough to get them a comparable backcourt talent in return, but trading a very good defensive player on a rookie contract should be easier than trading a bad defensive player (Monroe) getting paid $17 million. I imagine the Kings will give Cousins some time under Dave Joerger and focus on trading Rudy Gay.
Sekou Smith: Nerlens Noel is the runaway favorite here. Cousins has a new coach and system to work in and there is no rush in Milwaukee to part ways with Monroe. Noel knows that he’s going to be the odd man out and is ready to go. It can’t be an easy feeling, being a top pick and knowing that you are not a priority for the franchise going forward. Noel is a specialist who should draw plenty of interest from around the league, provided he can stay healthy and continue to impact the game around the rim on both ends.
Ian Thomsen: The one who clearly wants to leave is Noel, by way of his Twitter bio (“Current Philadelphia 76er!!”) and his preseason comment that Philly’s glut at center is “silly.” The Sixers need to deal him, but how will he recover from his recent knee surgery? And will they receive enough in return for him? In spite of these unanswerable questions, his desire to be moved and his “current” team’s pursuit of help on the perimeter are likely to drive a trade sooner than later.
