Pistons Officially Acquire Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks From Knicks

The Knicks have officially traded center Nerlens Noel and guard/forward Alec Burks to the Pistons, the teams announced in a pair of press releases.

Along with Noel and Burks, the Pistons received cash considerations, a 2023 second-round pick (originally their own), and a 2026 second-rounder, via the Timberwolves or Knicks, dependent on draft position. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pistons are receiving $6 million in cash.

In exchange, the Knicks will receive the draft rights to 2015 second-rounder Nikola Radicevic, as well as a 2025 second-rounder. That pick is top-55 pick protected, per Fred Katz of The Athletic.

.@nyknicks Complete Trade with Detroit pic.twitter.com/yl2nGqHXLv

— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) July 11, 2022

Noel had been at the center of trade talks between the Knicks and the Clippers, as we relayed here. But Pistons GM Troy Weaver is happy to have the veteran big man in Detroit. Per Wojnarowski, the Pistons are “eager” to add both Noel and Burks to their otherwise fairly young rotation.

Burks, 30, is 6-foot-6 and averaged 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 81 games last season, his second in New York. The Pistons become his sixth team in five seasons after spending the first eight years of his career with the Jazz.

Noel, 28, is 6-11 and averaged just 3.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in limited time last season — but is still viewed as a high-energy guy who can make an impact on defense. He was a member of the Thunder when Weaver worked in the front office in OKC.

Per the Pistons’ press release:

Burks, 6-6, 214, recorded clips of 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 28.6 minutes through 81 games (44 starts) with the Knicks in 2021-22. He scored at least 20 points in nine contests, including a season-best 34 points against the Pistons on Dec. 29, 2021. Burks had 43 games with multiple 3-pointers and made at least four triples 14 times a year ago.

The Grandview, Mo. native has 11 years of NBA experience after he was drafted 12^th overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 NBA Draft. Burks has suited up for the Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Knicks with career marks of 10.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.7 steals in 625 NBA games (135 starts).

A former standout at Colorado, Burks played two seasons collegiately for the Buffaloes while garnering Big 12 Rookie of the Year honors and All-Big 12 First Team honors as a sophomore.

Noel, 6-11, 220, tallied 3.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks in 22.5 minutes over 25 games (11 starts) with the Knicks last season. He pulled down double-digit rebounds twice and had multiple blocks in nine games in 2021-22. Noel spent two seasons with New York, appearing in 89 games (52 starts) since 2020-21.

The former sixth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Noel has played eight seasons in the league for the Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder and Knicks. He was named to the 2014-15 All-Rookie First Team and has ranked in the top-15 in the NBA in steals twice and blocks three times, including ranking third (2.2 bpg) in 2020-21.

Hailing from Malden, Mass., Noel played collegiately for the Kentucky Wildcats in 2012-13. He was named to the All-SEC First Team and was selected to the SEC All-Defense and SEC All-Freshman teams. Noel also earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year and SEC Rookie of the Year in his lone season with the Wildcats.

Radicevic, 6-6, 200, was acquired by Detroit via trade from the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 22, 2020. He was drafted 57th overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2015 NBA Draft.