DALLAS -- Nerlens Noel has signed his $4.1 million qualifying offer from the Dallas Mavericks.
The team announced the signing Monday of the 6-foot-11 center, who had been a restricted free agent and now will be unable to sign a long-term deal until after the upcoming season .
Noel had hoped to get a max deal this offseason from the Mavericks, who would have matched an offer sheet from another team. The 23-year-old center averaged 8.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 22 games with Dallas after being obtained from Philadelphia in a trade deadline deal last February.
The sixth overall pick in 2013 out of Kentucky has averaged 10 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in his 193 NBA games. He missed all of his first NBA season recovering from a left knee injury suffered in college.
Cavaliers: Plans scrapped for $140 million arena renovation
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers have scrapped plans for a $140 million renovation of Quicken Loans Arena.
The team had hoped to upgrade the 22-year-old downtown facility with more dining spaces and a glass exterior. However, following opposition from community groups opposed to tax money being used, the NBA franchise has backed away from the project.
Construction had been scheduled to start in June but was held up by a prospective referendum being placed on the ballot by groups arguing that the city's neighborhoods weren't benefiting by the arena's makeover.
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The Cavaliers were planning to fund half the project, with the other $70 million coming from public funding.
The team had hoped to host a future All-Star Game, and the league had warned that if construction didn't start by next month, the bid wouldn't be considered (see full story).
