David Richard-USA TODAY Sports activities
The New York Knicks have had exploratory discussions on buying and selling heart Nerlens Noel to the Los Angeles Clippers, league sources advised HoopsHype. Noel may match into the Clippers’ $9.7 million commerce exception beforehand generated by the Serge Ibaka commerce. The Knicks have a surplus of draft choose compensation (22 picks complete over the following seven years) to dangle.
Based on our HoopsHype wage cap knowledgeable, Yossi Gozlan, if the Knicks can commerce Noel with out taking any wage again in a deal, New York may generate a complete of $24.5 million in cap area. That determine would assist the Knicks make an aggressive run at Jalen Brunson in free company. The $24.5 million would come with waiving Taj Gibson, as beforehand reported on the final HoopsHype intel report, and retaining Mitchell Robinson’s cap maintain to allow them to re-sign him.
If the Clippers purchase Noel, it may imply Clippers backup heart Isaiah Hartenstein might have priced himself out of Los Angeles with unrestricted free company approaching. The Clippers can solely re-sign Hartenstein for as much as the $6.4 million taxpayer mid-level exception. That exception, nevertheless, may very well be used to signal John Wall.
Noel is owed $9.24 million subsequent season and has a $9.68 million team option for the 2023-24 season.
