Joakim Noah Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Anthony, Hernangomez, Noah, Oakley, Dolan

February 13th, 2017 at 6:31pm CST by Milo Taibi

Bobby Marks of The Vertical covered the Knicks in his trade deadline preview series. The Knicks, Marks writes, are a big market team dealing with adversity (to put it lightly). Marks explains the ways in which the Knicks have limited assets on paper; both Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings are on expiring contracts, and Courtney Lee will gain trade value over the summer, due to a weak shooting guard free agent class. Joakim Noah‘s expensive, long-term deal won’t attract suitors, and the team’s younger assets- Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez– aren’t thought to be available.

Trading Carmelo Anthony will be a “serious challenge” for the Knicks front office, who need to decide whether Anthony’s value would grow over the offseason. Marks put together a hypothetical trade that would work financially for all parties, in which Anthony would be dealt to the Clippers in exchange for Jamal Crawford, Austin Rivers, and Wesley Johnson. Of course, any deal involving Anthony would require the nine-time All-Star waiving his no-trade clause.

Knicks Notes: Noah, Rose, Anthony, Lee

February 4th, 2017 at 7:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks management views Joakim Noah as a backup center for next season, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Noah has been a disappointment since joining the organization on a four-year, $72MM deal last summer. The Knicks realize it would be nearly impossible to trade that contract, but they plan to reduce his role in the future. And Berman notes that the recent play of rookie Willy Hernangomez may push Noah to the bench before the end of the season. “Obviously we got to get Billy more minutes, whether coming off the bench first, maybe starting him,” said coach Jeff Hornacek. “We’re still looking at all that stuff. Kyle [O’Quinn] gives us great minutes at times. You have to go with the flow and feel.”

There’s more tonight out of New York:

Derrick Rose realizes he could be a candidate to be traded before the February 23rd deadline, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. Rose, who was acquired from the Bulls in an offseason deal, is in the final year of his contract and might be moved if the front office elects to rebuild. “It’s something me and my agent haven’t talked about,” Rose said. “I haven’t talked to [GM] Steve [Mills] or the front office about it. It’s something that hasn’t been out there. It’s a thought, like it’s a one-year deal. It’s a business. Just got to wait and see.”
LeBron James did little to quiet speculation about a Kevin Love for Carmelo Anthony rumor when he was asked about it, Berman writes in another story. James refused to tell reporters if he has spoken to Anthony about a possible deal, adding that he wants Anthony to find the best situation, no matter where it is. “If he’s there in New York or not, I just want the best for him,” James said. “I want him to be happy. That’s all that matters. The game comes very easy to you when you’re happy about where you’re at. So if he’s happy in New York, maybe he wants to be elsewhere, I’m not sure. He’s done a lot for that franchise, did a lot for the Denver franchise and see what happens.”
Courtney Lee, who joined the Knicks on a $50MM contract over the summer is opposed to rebuilding, Berman relays in the same piece. “I signed here to be in a winning situation,’’ Lee said. “The reason why we signed here was to try to make the playoffs and we still have a great chance of doing that. It doesn’t matter what the record is, as long as we get there, it’s a new slate.”

Latest On Carmelo Anthony

January 29th, 2017 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Although the Celtics have stated that they’re not interested in dealing for Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks haven’t given up on them as a trade partner, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. New York had a scout at Saturday’s Celtics game and the organization is “intrigued” by several of Boston’s players.

A source told Washburn that Knicks president Phil Jackson has issued orders to move Anthony, who has indicated that the Celtics are one of the teams he would consider waiving his no-trade clause to join. Another source says Brad Stevens would love to coach Anthony, but president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has rejected the Knicks’ overtures. Washburn adds that Boston could serve as a third team to help send Anthony to the Clippers.

There’s more this morning on the Anthony trade front:

The Celtics present the only realistic trade destination for Anthony, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports. In a video posted on CSNNE, Mannix says Ainge is in a “great position” to present the Knicks with a lowball offer and dare them to keep Anthony past the February 23rd deadline. Mannix speculates that any deal wouldn’t involve the Nets’ first-rounders that Boston owns for the next two seasons, but may include other Celtics draft picks. He also dismissed recent rumors of a Knicks-Clippers deal, saying it won’t happen unless New York is willing to accept a “garbage package” involving Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford and others.
Anthony admits the trade rumors can be a distraction, relays Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. “You’ve got to deal with that, even though I try not to read it,” he told reporters. “And everywhere you go, even if you don’t hear about it, somebody is telling you about it, somebody is saying something. It can be mentally draining, mentally fatiguing.”
If the Knicks trade Anthony, they should also get rid of Derrick Rose and some of the other veterans they added over the offseason, suggests Newsday’s Al Iannazzone. Rose is a defensive liability and has already deserted the team once, Iannazzone notes, adding that he doesn’t appear to be part of the team’s “long-term solution.” He also writes that free agent additions Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings didn’t come to New York to play for a team without Anthony, and believes the organization should commit to rebuilding if Anthony is traded.

Knicks Rumors: Carmelo, Noah, Hernangomez

January 26th, 2017 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of an ESPN report suggesting the Knicks were rebuffed in their efforts to engage the Cavaliers in a discussion about a possible Carmelo Anthony/Kevin Love swap, Anthony told reporters on Wednesday night that he’s unsure whether his club’s front office is trying to push him out the door. “I honestly don’t know,” Anthony said, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.

“If they want to go in a different direction, that’s something I have to consider,” Anthony later added, hinting again that he’d open to waiving his no-trade clause in certain scenarios. “I think I would have to consider that. All the talk that’s going on, that’s out of my control. Nobody contacted me, nobody contacted my representation or anything like that. So it’s something that I’m not worried about.”

ESPN’s report on the Knicks’ failed pitch to the Cavs suggested that New York’s front office wanted to see if a deal with Cleveland was possible before bringing it to Anthony. So it makes sense that the nine-time All-Star says he had and his reps weren’t contacted by the club about a potential move to Cleveland, since those talks went nowhere. Still, the fact that the Knicks are exploring the possibility of a trade is worth noting.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

The odds of Anthony being moved before the traded deadline appear remote, but it’s not out of the question if the Knicks lower their asking price, writes Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. While Isola declares that team president Phil Jackson seems to have “no use” for Anthony, the Daily News scribe observes that the Knicks forward has the leverage in the situation due to his no-trade clause.
There’s a belief that Anthony would be more inclined to approve a deal to a team like the Cavaliers or Clippers. However, neither of those clubs can make a real play for him without giving up a core piece, which is extremely unlikely, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders details. Kyler identifies a few other teams that could make a more realistic play for Carmelo, including the Magic, Bulls, and Lakers, though he acknowledges that there would be plenty of roadblocks in any scenario, most notably the fact that Anthony controls the process.
LeBron James, whose call for the Cavaliers to add a “playmaker” has dominated headlines this week, was asked on Wednesday about the Anthony rumor and certainly didn’t sound as if he was pushing for such a deal. “I have no reaction,” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “We got 14 guys in here. We need to be ready every night, who we got in here we got to play. We can’t play fantasy basketball. We got who we got and we got to go out and play.”
The Knicks committed four years and $72MM to Joakim Noah last summer, but the time has come for the team to bench Noah and unleash Willy Hernangomez, argues Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Noah, Sullinger

January 19th, 2017 at 1:29pm CST by Will Joseph

The Knicks are not headed in any particular direction, which is arguably the worst position for franchise to be in, and New York president Phil Jackson is a significant reason for that, Chris Herring of ESPN.com argues in a panel of fellow ESPN scribes (Insider subscription required). Carmelo Anthony is also partly to blame because his large contract, which includes a no-trade clause is hamstringing the team, is holding the franchise hostage, Bradford Doolittle opines. The panel suggested, however, that Anthony still has something left and in the right situation he could be a positive part of the Knicks. There are differing opinions on whether or not the Knicks should be in win-now mode or start tanking, with the latter being difficult to do, considering it would mean shedding players with contracts teams would have to take on creatively.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Joakim Noah hasn’t lived up to his $72MM contract and it’s possible that the Knicks will take him out of the starting line-up once Kristaps Porzingis is healthy enough to return to action, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Noah is averaging 5.6 points per game this season.
Jared Sullinger made his season debut for the Raptors on Wednesday and although the team lost, he felt like he exceed his own expectations, as Doug Smith of the Toronto Star relays. “I was able to keep up with the game,” Sullinger said. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to keep up, especially how hard and how fast the Sixers play, but I was able to keep up with the game.”
Jae Crowder is more valuable to the Celtics than Anthony could ever be, Logan Mullen of WEEI.com contends. Mullen argues that Anthony doesn’t provide the intensity that Crowder brings on a nightly basis. The scribe admits that the Celtics need one more star player, but cautions that Anthony isn’t the right fit.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post

Porzingis, Noah To Have MRIs On Thursday

January 18th, 2017 at 9:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kristaps Porzingis and Joakim Noah will both undergo MRIs on Thursday to determine the extent of nagging injuries, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com.

Porzingis missed his fourth straight game tonight with an Achilles problem, while Noah was sidelined by a sprained ankle. Porzingis is confident in his health, saying he is “90% ready.” He also dismissed the idea of sitting out long-term to rest the injury.

“Never felt that bad to actually take some time off,” he said. “I thought I would be [back] like next game, next game and it has taken long, longer time than we expected. … [Doctors] want to be smart about it and have me tell them exactly how I feel, not hide it a little bit and say, ‘Oh, I’m good.'”

Noah said his ankle was all right during Monday’s game, but began to swell during Tuesday’s flight to Boston. His availability for Thursday’s game against the Wizards may depend on the results of the MRI.

“I hope it’s going to be OK,” Noah said. “I mean, it is what it is. I wish I could be there with my teammates right now. We’re struggling. I want to be out there, be part of the solution.”

Atlantic Notes: Noah, Sullinger, Sixers

January 14th, 2017 at 9:54am CST by Austin Kent

It may have taken a while to work into a good routine with the Knicks but Joakim Noah is playing his best basketball of the season, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Over the course of the last 11 contests, the 31-year-old is averaging 8.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

Helping to light a fire under Noah, it seems, have been match ups with his former team. The Knicks center has posted averages of 14.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per in two games against the Bulls, most recently on Thursday night.

Though Noah continues to nurse a sore shoulder, his ability to contribute will play a factor in whether the Knicks decide to be buyers or sellers at the deadline.

That’s not it out of the Atlantic Division:

It was easy for Raptors fans to get excited about the news that Jared Sullinger has been cleared to practice, but general manager Masai Ujiri has reiterated that he has plenty of work to do yet. Sullinger will have a tough time working back into game shape this time of year, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN, and could even spend some time in the D-League working on his conditioning.
After a bumpy return to the lineup, 22-year-old Nerlens Noel is “definitely satisfied” with his role in Brett Brown‘s Sixers‘ rotation, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Of course Noel’s minutes didn’t come from thin air, earlier this week we wrote about Jahlil Okafor‘s demotion and the DNP-CDs that have come with it. Worth noting, writes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Inquirer, is that Philly has managed to hit its stride defensively. “If this program is going to go anywhere close to where we want it, it’s going to have to start with the defense,” Brown told Cooney. “There is no way around that.“
The Celtics made it their mission to get Al Horford a win in his first game against the Hawks team with which he played nine seasons, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN. While the C’s would ultimately accomplish their goal thanks to an Isaiah Thomas buzzer beater, the veteran Horford was surprised to hear so many boos in his return to Philips Arena.

Knicks Rumors: Rose, Carmelo, Noah, Jackson

January 11th, 2017 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of his return to the Knicks on Tuesday, Derrick Rose addressed his teammates and coaches, as well as GM Steve Mills and president Phil Jackson, and the point guard says that “everybody’s on the same page” (Twitter link via Ian Begley of ESPN.com). The Knicks do appear ready to move on, with head coach Jeff Hornacek telling reporters today that Rose will start tonight against Philadelphia, per Frank Isola of The New York Daily News (Twitter link).

Still, there should be lingering concern in New York about the situation. According to a report from Isola, during Rose’s absence, the former NBA MVP briefly “talked about walking away from basketball for an extended period of time to clear his mind.” Two independent sources who spoke to Isola described Rose as an emotional wreck on Monday afternoon.

Two days later, Rose claims he’s in a good place mentally and that he would have asked the Knicks for more time if he felt like he needed it (Twitter link via Isola). But the point guard’s future in New York – both in the short- and long-term – still appears very uncertain.

Here’s more on Rose and the Knicks:

There’s probably no quick fix for the Knicks, who are currently 17-21 and 11th in the East, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Kyler doesn’t expect any team to offer anything of real value in a trade for Rose, and hears from a source that Carmelo Anthony remains unwilling to approve a trade out of New York, in spite of the club’s recent slide. Joakim Noah also has little to no value as a trade piece, though Knicks sources tell Kyler that the former Bull has at least been a strong locker room influence so far.
Within a piece about Rose’s future – or lack thereof – in New York, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports that some Knicks players have privately expressed frustration with the team’s defensive schemes. Begley also confirms that some members of the Knicks organization were led to believe during Rose’s absence that the 28-year-old was considering a lengthy absence from basketball.
According to Begley, some people close to Rose have told friends that the point guard will be looking for a maximum salary contract this summer. While that may be true, it’s hard to fathom Rose landing anything close to that at this point.
Phil Jackson needs to start providing some answers regarding his struggling club, rather than silently watching as it burns to the ground, opines Kevin Kernan of The New York Post.

Atlantic Notes: Noel, Sixers, Noah, Celtics

December 18th, 2016 at 10:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers’ decision to remove Nerlens Noel from the rotation is baffling and short-sighted, Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. The team didn’t even attempt to take a long look at him playing alongside either Joel Embiid or Jahlil Okafor before benching him, Cooney continues. Philadelphia’s coaching staff and front office simply quit on the process of trying to mesh the skills of the three big men and that doesn’t send a good message to the other players, Cooney adds. Cooney hedged on his position, saying there might be something more to the decision than has been revealed publicly.

In other developments around the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers’ chances of getting the Lakers’ first-round pick have dropped from 91% to 66.6% because of Los Angeles’ losing streak, according to Neil Johnson of ESPN Analytics. The Lakers originally dealt the pick to the Suns in 2012 while acquiring guard Steve Nash. Philadelphia acquired the pick in 2015 in a three-way deal with the Suns and Bucks. The pick is top three protected in the next draft and unprotected in 2018. The Lakers’ expected draft position per BPI is currently 4.8, according to Johnson, meaning the Sixers would get the No. 4 or No. 5 pick from L.A. if the odds hold up.
Joakim Noah has been a major bust and the Knicks center may soon lose his starting job, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Coach Jeff Hornacek said to Berman and other media members that Noah’s starting status is “something we have to keep our eye on.’’ Noah, who was signed to a four-year, $72MM contract as a free agent, has been a major liability on offense, which more than offsets the occasional energy boost he provides with his rebounding and defense, Berman adds.
Teams have a better chance of retaining their top free agents under the new CBA and that could hurt the Celtics’ chances of becoming a top contender, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald opines. The Celtics were able to land Al Horford and make a serious run for Kevin Durant but that probably wouldn’t have happened if the new CBA had been in place this past summer, Bulpett continues. It will be tougher to attract top free agents in the future, which will force the Celtics to rely on trades and the draft to improve, Bulpett adds.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Noel, Celtics, Noah

December 18th, 2016 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers‘ plan to use Joel Embiid at power forward with Jahlil Okafor at center is off to a terrible start, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The new alignment takes Embiid away from the basket on offense, where he isn’t comfortable, and leaves Okafor to protect the rim on defense, which he isn’t equipped to do. “This is a work in progress,” Embiid said. “I’m not sure why we changed it. But I’m going to do whatever they want.” Pompey points out that the team was playing its best ball in two seasons, with back-to-back road wins, before that was derailed by the lineup change. “We decided to do this as an organization to see if it has a chance for working,” said coach Brett Brown. “How long we [keep] doing it? I don’t know. But we are going to go on trying it, certainly [Sunday against the Nets]. I think we can all step back and make a better assessment after that.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Nerlens Noel is doing everything he can to get traded out of Philadelphia, states A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. Blakely added that the Celtics are among many teams that are watching the situation with the Sixers closely. Noel complained to the media Friday after seeing just eight minutes of playing time in a loss to the Lakers.
The Celtics are 8-3 when coach Brad Stevens‘ preferred starting lineup is all healthy, but he hasn’t been able to find the right bench combination, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN. Boston is losing ground in the second quarters of many games, and the three-guard lineup that Stevens sometimes favors has been particularly bad.
Knicks center Joakim Noah played just 11 minutes in Saturday’s loss at Denver, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. He was pulled from the game early after having trouble keeping up with the Nuggets’ pace in the high-altitude setting. After signing a four-year, $72MM deal over the summer, Noah is averaging just 21.2 minutes and 4.4 points per game. “We’re not getting off to great starts. That’s not on Jo. We’re trying to find the right combination to get us going,” coach Jeff Hornacek said.