Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 OKC stars that are unlikely to finish the season with the team

#2 Nerlens Noel

Nerlens Noel has taken on a backup role with the Thunder

Just two years ago Nerlens Noel turned down a four-year, $70 million contract from the Dallas Mavericks. The center believed that he would be able to command a bigger deal 12 months later, and eventually signed a one-year, $4.1 million qualifying offer with Dallas. However, Noel played just 30 times during the 17-18 season and only managed to attract a one-year $1.7 million contract from the Thunder last summer.

In Oklahoma City, Noel has been fielded as a backup to Steven Adams and averaged just 13.7 minutes per game during his first season with the team. Nevertheless, Noel has impressed during his time on the court and is signed to an extremely team-friendly deal worth just $2 million.

Noel will also become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and a draft pick should be enough to convince the Thunder to part with the former Philadelphia star. Interest is also likely to materialize as teams attempt to add depth, and only a Steven Adams trade could keep Noel with the Thunder.