(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
The Sacramento Kings had a very successful 2022-23 season in which they finished with the third-best record in the Western Conference.
They made the playoffs for the first time since 2006, and they took the defending champion Golden State Warriors to a seventh game before falling in blowout fashion.
The future seems bright for Sacramento, and now the challenge is for them to build on their success from this past season.
They took a small step toward doing so on Tuesday when they signed free agent center Nerlens Noel to a one-year contract, per Adrian Wojnarowski.
Free agent C Nerlens Noel has agreed on a one-year, $3.1M deal with the Sacramento Kings, his agent @georgelangberg of GSL Sports Group tells ESPN. Noel gives the Kings a defensive presence in the frontline rotation.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 18, 2023
Noel was the No. 6 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, and at the time, it was thought he had the potential to become a ferocious shot-blocker and rebounder, much like Dikembe Mutombo was years ago.
However, he tore his ACL late in his lone season of college basketball at the University of Kentucky, which caused him to miss all of what would’ve been his rookie campaign in the NBA.
Subsequent injuries were just one reason he never really fulfilled his potential, and after just a couple of years, he was relegated to a backup role while bouncing around the league.
Noel may not get much playing time for the Kings, but he can provide rim protection and some rebounding off the bench in relief of All-Star center Domantas Sabonis.
If the Kings have one weakness, it’s defense — they ranked just 24th in defensive rating during this past regular season.
Improving on that end of the floor will be a big key in going from a good team to a contending team.
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