Nerlens Noel: A Journey Through the NBA Draft

From Tilton School to the Detroit Pistons

On July 11, 2022, Nerlens Noel, a former star at Tilton School in Tilton, New Hampshire, was traded alongside Alec Burks to the Detroit Pistons. In exchange, the Pistons acquired the draft rights to Nikola Radičević and a 2025 protected second-round pick.

Pre-Draft Trades

Prior to the day of the draft, several other trades involving draft picks were made. These trades included:

* The Miami Heat acquired the draft rights to Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic in exchange for a future second-round pick. * The Philadelphia 76ers acquired the draft rights to Markelle Fultz from the Boston Celtics in exchange for the draft rights to Jayson Tatum. * The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired the draft rights to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for a future first-round pick.

Noel's Journey

Noel was considered a top-level defensive player and a likely one-and-done prospect after his high school career. He committed to play college basketball at Kentucky, where he was expected to develop into a high NBA draft pick. However, Noel left Kentucky after one season to enter the NBA Draft.

Noel was selected with the sixth overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2013 NBA Draft. He was later traded to the Dallas Mavericks, where he played for three seasons. In July 2022, Noel was traded to the Detroit Pistons.

Noel is a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions. He is also a talented shot-blocker and rebounder. The Pistons hope that Noel can add leadership and experience to their young team.