Originally drafted sixth overall by the New Orleans Hornets in 2013, Nerlens Noel entered the NBA with a knee injury that did not allow him to make his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers until the 2014-15 season. While he showed some promise in his first couple of years, things did not go as planned for the top pick, as Noel bounced around the league, spending time with the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons and most recently the Brooklyn Nets.

Noel will now join his seventh different franchise, as he has agreed to a one-year, $3.1 million contract with the Sacramento Kings, first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

This past season, Noel played in 17 total games, 14 with the Pistons and just three with the Nets. Combined, he managed to average 2.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in about 11.5 minutes per game. A shot-blocking presence that had some solid seasons with the Knicks not too long ago, Noel has embraced his role as a backup big man in the NBA. Needing a little bit more depth behind All-Star Domantas Sabonis, Noel now provides the Kings with a slightly different option at the center position.

He's longer and more athletic than Sabonis, plus Noel will provide the Kings with a sense of rim-protection when their All-Star center is taking a break on the bench. On a one-year, minimum-like deal, Sacramento has put themselves in a potentially positive situation since Noel has a proven track record of contributing off the bench.

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The Kings are coming off their first playoff appearance since 2006 and are one of the rising teams in the Western Conference. They will be looking to prove that making the playoffs this past year was no fluke and having viable options at every position is a must just in case of injuries. He may not have been the best center available, but Sacramento knows what they will be getting with Noel, which is why they decided to sign him to this small deal for the 2023-24 season.

In 467 career NBA games, Nerlens Noel has averaged 7.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 block per game while shooting 54.6 percent from the floor.