Sixers Reject Rockets Offer of Patrick Beverley and Trevor Ariza for Nerlens Noel

Nerlens Noel's name has been involved in a couple of trade rumors on Thursday, and one possible reported landing spot is the Houston Rockets. Jake Fischer tweeted earlier that the Mike D'Antoni led Rockets had engaged the Sixers in trade talks about Noel, and offered up guard Patrick Beverley and small forward Trevor Ariza.

According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Houston will have to put together a better package for the Sixers to part with the former Kentucky big man.

An NBA source said the Sixers turned down a trade offer from the Houston Rockets for Noel in exchange for Pat Beverly and Trevor Ariza. It was first reported by Liberty Ballers.

The deal offered up by Daryl Morey is somewhat respectable. Beverley is a solid defender and three-point shooter who can play off ball, and Ariza is on a team friendly contract and could step in as the Sixers starting wing player if they were to acquire him. But for where the Sixers are in their rebuild, acquiring either for a budding 22-year-old big man just doesn't make sense. Those two are complimentary pieces for a team that knows they're making a playoff run, and that's not where the Sixers are right now. With that said, a deal like that is still better than Philadelphia giving up Nerlens and other pieces to trade up for the third pick. The Sixers destined to end up outbidding themselves in a situation like that.

Noel makes a ton of sense for Houston with Dwight Howard gone, and the D'Antoni connection is not anything to scoff at. We'll see if they can up their offer during the course of the evening.