Nerlens Noel Set To Become Restricted Free Agent

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Nerlens Noel and the Philadelphia 76ers did not agree to a contract extension by Monday's deadline.

This means Noel will become a restricted free agent on July 1st, assuming the Sixers choose to tender him a qualifying offer. Once a restricted free-agent, Noel can sign an offer sheet with any team, but the Sixers will have the right of first refusal.

With the Sixers' logjam of bigs now with Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, Ben Simmons, and Dario Saric, Noel may not even make it through the season. Noel is involved in plenty of trade rumors and in August, the 2013 sixth-overall pick said he is "very open" to being traded, according to a report.

Noel, 22 from Malden, Massachusetts, continues to tweet about his hometown city of Boston reacting to a trade the New England Patriots made on Monday.

Noel has not played so far this season after having, what the Sixers called, "minor" and "elective" knee surgery in October. He is expected to miss at least the first three weeks of the season.

In the first two seasons of his career, Noel has been an elite defender averaging 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 1.8 steals per game.

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