After trading away Kyle Korver last season, trading away Dwight Howard this offseason and losing Paul Millsap in free agency, the Atlanta Hawks find their roster gutted. Their frontcourt depth is so thin that, as of now, it’s unclear who will start at center. The Hawks are looking at Dallas Mavericks restricted free agent Nerlens Noel to fill that void, per Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype:
The Hawks have shown interest in restricted free agent Nerlens Noel, according to sources. The Mavericks can match any offer sheet.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 5, 2017
As Kennedy noted, the Mavs can match any offer made to Noel. They’d probably have to think hard about whether or not to match a max offer sheet, but they’d likely match even that. After all, Noel is a very promising young two-way center whom the Mavs presumably consider a part of their core.
The Hawks, as of now, wouldn’t be able to offer Noel the max anyway. If they waive or trade Jamal Crawford (which they’re trying to do, per reports), however, they would have the room to do so.
