The Dallas Mavericks may have finally found their center of the future, but he won't be cheap to retain.
Nerlens Noel is expected to receive multiple max offers this summer, a league executive told Mike Fisher of Scout.com. That contract would see Noel earn $146 million over five seasons.
Dallas can match any offer since it holds Noel's restricted rights, which came by way of a deadline deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Mavericks surrendered two second-round selections for a player who they believe to be a piece of their long-term core.
Noel, the No. 6 pick of the 2013 NBA Draft, spent the majority of his career in a losing program with Philadelphia. He was largely limited to catching lobs and flushing putbacks on offense, but showed tremendous defensive potential. As such, the Mavericks envision him to be a "Tyson Chandler starter kit" in their pick-and-roll heavy offense.
The 23-year-old Noel holds career averages of 10 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 blocks in 27.6 minutes per game.