The Mavericks’ biggest reclamation project to date

Qualifying offer and hot dog jokes aside, Nerlens Noel can still be a good player in the NBA. It’s baffling that the Mavericks, a rebuilding team in desperate need of young talent, would be in a position to just buy out or get rid of a 23-year-old former No. 6 overall pick.

The journey to this point has been complicated, and there were points in the season where it seemed like both sides were at fault. Nerlens Noel arrived in Dallas as part of a deal that sent beloved young wing Justin Anderson and a few protected draft picks to Philadelphia. At the time, the front office touted Noel as a “Tyson Chandler starter kit,” a lofty compliment considering Chandler is arguably the best center in…