Nerlens Noel
Apr 12, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) falls to the floor after colliding with Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel (4) in the first half at Air Canada Centre. USA TODAY Sports / Dan Hamilton

The Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors have emerged as the frontrunners to acquire Philadelphia 76ers big man Nerlens Noel via trade, per several reports.

Noel, yet to play a game this season due to a knee injury, was recently assigned to Sixers' D-League franchise in an attempt to speed up his rehabilitation process. Noel is reportedly unhappy with the situation in Philadelphia and has been openly pressing for a trade for most of the year.

Last month, Noel underwent surgery on his left knee but is reportedly ready to return to the court. However, the Sixers have been reluctant to include the former Kentucky standout in its all crowded frontcourt.

According to Hoops Rumors, the Blazes, besides the Raptors and Warriors, will try to trade for Noel ahead of the February deadline. "Teams like the Raptors and Warriors would be in the same boat as Portland, facing financial challenges when it comes to extending Noel, but both teams would be solid fits for the young big. Toronto could offer a package that includes Terrence Ross, while Golden State could perhaps offer Ian Clark, Kevon Looney, and/or draft picks."

On paper, the Raptors' potential package that includes Terrence Ross could prove to be more intriguing for the Sixers front office. However, the Warriors could sweeten their deal by possibly including Shaun Livingston in the package. Livingston is an unrestricted free agent next year and could likely leave Oakland since the Warriors will have to prioritise superstars Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, who are also free agents in 2017.

Nerlens Noel: What can Warriors offer?

Since the Sixers are seeking more depth in the backcourt, a Warriors package comprising of Livingston and Clark could work well for both teams. Clark can't be traded before his Dec.15 trade restriction expires. If the Warriors refuse to trade Livingston, they could include rookie Patrick McCaw, who has shown flashes of a viable backup point guard thus far.

The Warriors are missing Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli, the two big men they were forced to get rid of to sign free agent Kevin Durant during the summer. While they have tried to fill the void with Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee, the Warriors don't have an able rim protector and rebounder at this stage.

Philadelphia has a froncourt logjam with the likes of Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, Ersan Ilyasova and Dario Saric sharing frontcourt minutes in the absence of rookie Ben Simmons and Noel. While Simmons is expected to play point guard upon his debut, coach Brett Brown could struggle to find minutes for Noel, who was drafted No.6 overall by Philadelphia in 2013.

In September, Noel called the logjam "silly" and was reportedly kicked out of training camp for his brazen comments. “I feel like it definitely needs to be figured out. I think at the end of the day, again, you have three starting-calibre centres (Embiid, Noel and Okafor). And it’s just not going to work to anybody’s advantage having that on the same team. That’s how I’m looking at it. I’m not opposed to anything, but things need to be situated," Noel, who averages 10.5 points and 8.1 rebounds for his career, said at the time.

Nerlens Noel is almost guaranteed to be traded out of Philadelphia ahead of February's deadline. Many general managers view the young centre as an able rim protector and would be tempted to trade valuable assets to acquire him.

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