The Nets really need a center to play defense around their new Big Three, and reportedly will sign former Sixers backup Norvel Pelle as one option to fill that hole, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Free agent F/C Norvel Pelle is planning to sign with the Brooklyn Nets, pending clearance of Health and Safety protocols, agent @bjbass2 tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 22, 2021
This move is directly related to the trade that brought James Harden to town. As part of that deal, the Nets sent Jarrett Allen, who had started to get minutes in the starting lineup and looked to be a potential major contributor to this team’s success, to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
That forced veteran DeAndre Jordan into a huge role as effectively the only traditional center on the roster, and while he’s played fine over the first few games of this new era, it wasn’t tenable to move forward with only him in that spot. As just one illustration of the problem, nearly every rotation player for the Nets played 40-plus minutes in an overtime game against Cleveland earlier this week.
As Joel Embiid’s backup last year in Philadelphia, Pelle played nearly 10 minutes per game and averaged more than a block per game. He was with the Sixers as recently as the Bubble. Pelle brings legit NBA size and athleticism with decent defensive instincts. He won’t be the difference between Brooklyn’s defense being passable versus championship-caliber, but he will give the Nets depth, and as Wojnarowski also noted, Brooklyn still has three more roster spots open to add players.
Pelle, 27, played 24 games for the Sixers a season ago — averaging three rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 9.7 minutes ago He's had a significant overseas and G-League journey, showing an ability to impact game on defensive end. Brooklyn will still have two more open roster spots. https://t.co/J904mUK4Gq
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 22, 2021
Pelle must clear the NBA health and safety protocol rules before officially joining the Nets.
