NBA trade rumors: Nerlens Noel is odd man out in Philly, will the Celtics trade for him?

Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel is the one name that has been mentioned in trade rumors even before the season started. The Sixers' frontcourt got a little more crowded when Joel Embiid was finally cleared to play after he was sidelined for an entire season. Aside from Embiid, Noel also had to battle for playing time against Jahlil Okafor. But before he can prove his worth, he injured his knee and was out of the lineup for the first two months of the season.

When Noel finally got back on the court, he quickly realized that he was the odd man out and he wasn't happy at all. After the Sixers' 100–89 loss to the Lakers on Dec. 17, Noel was asked if he was willing to be paired with another center in the lineup and he said he doesn't care who he's playing with, he just wants to play.

Noel only played eight minutes in that game, and he was clearly frustrated when he told the press that he was "too good to be playing eight minutes."

Now, things have taken a turn for the worst for Noel because Sixers coach Brett Brown has revealed (via CSN Philly) that he does not think that squeezing three centers into the rotation was a good idea. Guess who's the odd man out again?

If the Sixers doesn't need Noel, a handful of teams are more than willing to trade for him. According to reports, one of his suitors is the Boston Celtics. The team has been linked to Noel since the offseason, but nothing of note has happened.

The Celtics really need a player with his skillsets right now because they're one of the worst rebounding teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Noel is also an emerging defensive savant, so he can be the defensive anchor the team has been searching for since Kevin Garnett left. But there's one caveat — his injury history.

If the Celtics pull the trigger to acquire Noel, they have to be wary of the two surgeries he had on his left knee. That's two surgeries in four years. Are the injuries behind him or is there a chance that they're going to flare up again?

If the Celtics trade for him, they get a young player with a lot of upsides. But there's also the risk of injuries. Will they risk it and pull the trigger?