The Oklahoma City Thunder thought they already secured the services of Nerlens Noel after he reportedly agreed to a deal on Sunday, but things changed quickly.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Noel asked the Pelicans for “more time to re-evaluate the earlier commitment on a deal” on Sunday night. Wojnarowski added, though, that the Thunder and Noel are still discussing a possible deal.
Noel, who also had stints with the Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks in his five-year career in the league, played 77 games for the Thunder last season, but the former Kentucky standout failed to make a significant impact. He averaged just 4.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in just 13.7 minutes per game.
The 25-year-old then informed the Thunder late last month that he will be opting out of the final year of his contract. Noel was supposed to get $1.9 million from Oklahoma City had he exercised his option. When he opted out, it was also reported that Noel is focused on getting a new deal from the Thunder.
It remains to be seen if Noel's decision to ask for more time to re-evaluate things was influenced by an offer from another team. Shams Charania of The Athletic previously reported that several teams are expected to express interest in signing Noel in free agency.
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