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 centre, 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 off-season from the Mavericks, who would have matched an offer sheet from another team. The 23-year-old centre 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.

___

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball