Despite trading away their two top stars, the Brooklyn Nets are still in position to compete for a playoff spot in the East. The haul they got for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have played extremely well, with guys like Mikal Bridges and Spencer Dinwiddie stepping up. Now, the Nets are shoring up one of their key areas by signing free-agent center Nerlens Noel, per Adrian Wojnarowski.

“Free agent center Nerlens Noel is signing a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, his agent @GeorgeLangberg tells ESPN. After completing buyout with Pistons, Noel joins a Nets team needing some size off the bench.”

Even before the KD and Kyrie trade, Brooklyn has struggled to compete with some of the taller teams in the league. Part of that is their lack of big men from the bench. Nic Claxton is an excellent player (and arguably a DPOY candidate), but aside from him, the Nets have next to no bodies to throw at opposing big men.

Nerlens Noel should help with the Nets' rebounding and defensive woes from the bench. He hasn't played a ton in the 2022-23 season, but his last season with the Knicks saw him average just under six rebounds in 22 minutes per game. He's not an offensive dynamo, but his rim running on offense should open up more playmaking opportunities for Dinwiddie and Bridges.

The Nets are helped greatly by their above-average standings before the KD-Kyrie trade. If the cards are right for them, they are in position to ruin a playoff contender's championship dreams in April or May. We'll see just how far this team can go without their stars.