NBA Rumors: Former NBA all-star Joakim Noah is expected to hit the open market soon rather than later
Joakim Noah hasn’t played at least 15 minutes in game since January 31, 2017, and only played in seven games this past season for the New York Knicks. Nevertheless, he still has two years and nearly $40 million remaining on his contract.
Although, that will likely be changing soon.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Noah is expected to reach an agreement with the Knicks on a buyout, which will make him a free agent who can sign with any team.
Noah has worked diligently this offseason, and several teams are monitoring his upcoming entrance in free agency. https://t.co/GNCcPnKILl
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 23, 2018
Noah is only 33 years old and has reportedly been keeping himself in shape, despite not having much live action over the last couple seasons of his career. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Noah land on a team soon.
Even if it’s just a training camp invite at first, there’s no question that he’s going to get another shot on his accolades alone. And if he really has kept himself in top shape, and has worked on his game this summer, this really could be a low risk, high reward type of move for a team that is in need of frontcourt depth.
I don’t think any team is going to expect Noah to be the starter headed into camp – and if they do, they’re probably not in a great spot roster-wise – but having Noah as a backup option, if he can make it through the rigors of training camp without a setback, wouldn’t be the worst option out there.
Noah isn’t going to be the missing piece for any team out there, and might even carry more value as a locker room presence. Either way, Noah is bound to get another shot in the NBA. Hopefully it pans out better than his stint with the New York Knicks.