Mavericks' Nerlens Noel: Won't make debut Friday

Noel (coach's decision) didn't travel with the Mavericks to Minneapolis and won't play in Friday's game against the Timberwolves.

Analysis:

The Mavericks made one of the splashier deals Thursday in acquiring Noel from the 76ers in exchange for Justin Anderson, Andrew Bogut and a protected 2017 first-round pick. It's expected that Noel will ultimately settle in as the team's starting center and push Dirk Nowitzki over to his more natural role at power forward, but that won't materialize until at least Saturday's home game against the Pelicans. Noel will presumably go through his first workout with the team earlier that day, and if all goes well, he should make his Mavericks debut later that evening. The Mavericks may opt to ease Noel into the fold with limited minutes until he gets comfortable with the team's offensive sets and defensive schemes, but he'll see an elevated role in the lineup before long. Bench big men Salah Mejri and Dwight Powell figure to see downturns in playing time following the addition of Noel.