Nerlens Noel says the Philadelphia 76ers should have done something this offseason to address the team's glut of centers, telling The Philadelphia Inquirer that there needs to be a change.
"I think it's just silly ... this situation that we are in now with three starting centers," Noel said Sunday. "With the departure of [former general manager and president] Sam Hinkie, I would have figured that management would be able to get something done this summer."
As it stands, Noel enters the season competing with Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor for playing time at the 5. Each was a lottery pick by Philadelphia -- Noel in 2013, Embiid in 2014 and Okafor in 2015 -- and Embiid is the front-runner for the starting center spot this season.
"Don't get me wrong. We all get along great on the court and off the court," Noel said. "But at the end of the day, it's like having three starting quarterbacks. It doesn't make any sense."
Noel told the Inquirer that he wasn't demanding a trade or speaking on behalf of his teammates but said something needs to happen.
"I think at the end of the day, again, you have three starting-caliber centers. And it's just not going to work to anybody's advantage having that on the same team," Noel said. "That's how I'm looking at it. I'm not opposed to anything, but things need to be situated."
Ahead of June's NBA draft, sources told ESPN that the 76ers explored trading Noel and Okafor. Noel confirmed the team looked into moving him, telling the Inquirer, "I know I was shopped."
The team declined to comment on the situation to the newspaper. The 76ers held their media day Monday.
"It's not disappointing. It's understandable," 76ers president Bryan Colangelo said Monday. "I think Nerlens actually did a pretty good job sizing up what we have, which is a lot of depth and a lot of talent at that position."
