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In the wake of Nerlens Noel opting to sign the one-year, $4.1 million qualifying offer to return to the Dallas Mavericks, there has been some contention as to whether the Mavs had initially offered a $70 million deal.
ESPN’s Chris Haynes reported that the initial offer was “non-existent.” However, Noel’s former agent, Happy Walters, refuted that claim and said that Noel declined the deal.
According to Tim Cato of SB Nation, Mark Cuban and the Mavs still could’ve honored that four-year deal had Noel changed his mind. But Noel never reconsidered the offer, so the Mavs also never got the chance to make that choice.
“[It’s] hard to say,” Cuban told SB Nation. “We never got there.”
It's hard to say what exactly is the most accurate account of the situation, but if Cuban and the Mavs were really willing to put the initial offer back on the table, a four-year, $70 million contract for Noel seemed like a more than fair deal considering the current market for big men.
It didn’t make much sense for the Mavs to exceed that number, especially for Noel, who has career averages of 10 points and 7.5 rebounds in four NBA seasons. He missed his entire rookie year due to a torn ACL and has also missed 46 games due to lingering injuries over the last two years.
There’s still a chance Noel and the Mavs can come to an agreement on a long-term deal next offseason, but this summer’s negotiations may have soured their relationship to the point where a reconciliation may be difficult to achieve.
