Nerlens Noel says he’d bet on himself

In what seems to be another negotiating tactic, Nerlens Noel has taken to Instagram, posting a video of himself working on his shot. In the caption, Noel says, "I’m 23 and I been workin’ on me! #JordanYear #IdBetOnMyself."

That last part is what has me thinking that Noel is seriously considering "betting on himself" by accepting the Dallas Mavericks 1-year qualifying offer. If he does, he would make a little more than $4 million next season and would become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The fact that Noel hasn’t done this yet lets you know just how risky it is for him. For the sake of understanding how big of a gamble he’d be taking, let’s assume the Mavs have offered Noel a 4-year, $72 million contract. He would be passing up the chance to make almost five times more what he’s been making annually, just for a chance to get a bigger paycheck.

You can’t blame a guy for wanting to make as much money as possible, but for a guy that’s got a notable injury history, is the risk really worth it? Hopefully, this is just another last ditch effort to squeeze as much money out of the Mavs as possible. Because if Noel takes the qualifying offer, there’s no guarantee he’ll want to stay in Dallas next summer. And if he acts like he might leave, well — get ready for a lot of DeMarcus Cousins rumors.