Joakim Noah Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Likely To Part With Joakim Noah Before Camp

September 14th, 2018 at 12:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks plan to resolve the Joakim Noah situation before training camp begins, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The team continues to make calls in an effort to find a trading partner and is expected to waive and stretch the veteran center’s contract if a deal can’t be worked out.

Noah has two seasons and $37.8MM remaining on the four-year, $72MM agreement he signed in 2016. With this year’s salary already locked in, New York can stretch the remaining $19.295MM over three years. That would amount to payments of about $6.4MM per year and would add an additional $12.9MM in cap space for next summer, when the Knicks are hoping to make a splash in free agency.

It’s also possible that Noah might accept a partial buyout on this season’s salary of $18.53MM to gain his freedom from a team that no longer want him, just as Luol Deng did with the Lakers.

Noah appeared in just seven games last season because of a combination of suspensions, injuries and coach’s decisions. He left the team in January after a heated confrontation with former coach Jeff Hornacek in practice and never returned.

It’s not clear where Noah’s next destination might be, whether he gets traded or waived. The Timberwolves, who have added four former Bulls under coach/executive Tom Thibodeau, were thought to be a possibility, but a report this week claims they aren’t interested.

Wolves Reportedly Not Interested In Joakim Noah

September 12th, 2018 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Even though they’ve assembled a collection of former Bulls, the Timberwolves don’t plan to pursue Joakim Noah if he becomes a free agent, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.

Minnesota signed ex-Laker Luol Deng this week, adding him to Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson as players who were with Chicago under current Wolves coach/executive Tom Thibodeau.

The Knicks are reportedly planning to use the stretch provision to unload Noah if they can’t work out a trade or buyout. With this year’s $18.53MM salary already locked in, New York can turn the $19.295MM it owes Noah for the 2019/20 season into three payments of roughly $6.4MM a year. That would open about $12.9MM in cap room for next summer when the Knicks hope to make a splash on the free agent market.

Noah has been a major disappointment since coming to New York on a four-year, $72MM contract in 2016. Suspensions, injuries and coaching decisions limited him to seven games last season, and he never rejoined the team after an altercation in practice with former coach Jeff Hornacek in January.

While a reunion with Thibodeau may seem like the logical next step for Noah, there’s no guarantee he would have more playing time in Minnesota than he did in New York. Karl-Anthony Towns is entrenched as the Wolves’ starting center with Gorgui Dieng in place as the backup.

Timberwolves Eyeing Luol Deng, Joakim Noah?

September 3rd, 2018 at 10:42am CST by Luke Adams

Following his buyout and release from the Lakers, Luol Deng is poised to become an unrestricted free agent today once he officially clears waivers. Early reports indicated that the veteran forward is expected to receive interest from multiple contending teams, and one of those teams figures to be the Timberwolves.

As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic notes (via Twitter), he reported earlier in the offseason that Minnesota would have interest in both Deng and Joakim Noah if they were to become available. With Deng set to become a free agent and Noah’s days in New York reportedly numbered, the Timberwolves’ presumed interest in the duo hasn’t wavered, per Krawczynski.

Although both Deng and Noah have been viewed as toxic assets in recent years due to their overpriced contracts, the two veterans have strong NBA track records. They’d look a whole lot better on one-year, minimum-salary contracts than they did on their four-year, $72MM deals.

Of course, it’s no coincidence that the Timberwolves would have interest in a pair of former Bulls. Current Wolves head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau has exhibited a fondness for bringing his old Chicago players to Minnesota, with Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, and Derrick Rose already on the roster.

The Wolves are also one of a small handful of teams around the NBA that could accommodate two more players on guaranteed contracts without having to trade or waive any projected roster players before opening night. Minnesota is currently carrying 12 players on guaranteed salaries, plus James Nunnally on a partially guaranteed deal, leaving two potential openings for the club’s 15-man regular season roster.

While Noah is still a Knick for now, Deng looks like a viable target for the Timberwolves. Having been unhappy about barely seeing the court in Los Angeles last season, the 33-year-old will be looking to join a team that will give him a chance to play. Given Thibodeau’s tendency to lean heavily on his starters, Deng would have to be confident he’d have an opportunity to crack the club’s rotation in order to seriously consider signing in Minnesota.

Atlantic Notes: Dinwiddie, Hardaway, Noah, Raptors

August 18th, 2018 at 11:16am CST by marksuleymanov

The Nets guaranteed Spencer Dinwiddie‘s contract for the 2018/19 season earlier this week as the guard looks to build off a career season in 2017/18. Dinwiddie recently returned to Brooklyn after spending the summer in California and China and he’s ready to get started, Tom Dowd of NBA.com writes.

“Scoring efficiency is the main area of improvement,” Dinwiddie said. “Overall development. I’m 25 years old, still got a lot of juice in the tank. I want to continue to push the limits of who I can be as a player and see how far we as a group, a collective, can take this thing. A lot of that comes from every individual being one percent better. Trying to do a lot of that.”

In 80 games last season, Dinwiddie enjoyed his best year to date, averaging 12.6 PPG and 6.6 APG for Brooklyn. Entering this season, with the roster shaken up and without Jeremy Lin, Dinwiddie figures to have a shot to retain his spot. As Dinwiddie and his teammates prepare for the preseason, he acknowledged that workouts have ramped up.

“It’s all ramping up and we’re getting to a place where the season is coming up,” Dinwiddie said. “It’s about to be around the corner. We’re putting in some of those final touches, some of that final preparation to get ready.”

Check out more Atlantic Division notes:

After the Knicks parted ways with Jeff Hornacek, guard Tim Hardaway Jr. was unsure of the front office’s thought process. With David Fizdale on board, Hardaway loves what the new coach brings to the team, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “He’s respected around the league,’’ Hardaway said. “He does bring that type of vibe and character around the team that makes you want to go out there and compete each and every day for him. That’s what we love about him.”
A lot has been made of Joakim Noah and his role — or lack thereof — on this upcoming year’s Knicks team. While his contract is an albatross, utilizing the stretch provision is one way New York can rid itself of the injured center. Danny Leroux of The Athletic (subscription required) explains why the Knicks should hold onto Noah for now.
The Raptors announced the coaching staff for their G League affiliate, Raptors 905.

Atlantic Notes: Noah, Porzingis, Atkinson, Crawford

August 11th, 2018 at 9:34am CST by marksuleymanov

As we relayed earlier this week, the Knicks are expected to part ways with oft-injured center Joakim Noah before the start of training camp. If the Knicks fail to find a trading partner, the team is expected to use the stretch provision after September 1. Noah, 33, still has two years and $37.8MM left on his deal.

Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News examined both the good and bad sides of the Knicks parting ways with Noah this offseason. It would likely avoid a major headache and possible players’ union issue if the Knicks refuse to play Noah. Bondy reiterates that the deadline to solve the Noah issue is not September 1 but rather next summer when New York intends to pursue top free agents.

The Nets dealing Timofey Mozgov‘s lucrative multiyear contract for an expiring deal is one example of a team leveraging an albatross deal into future cap space. The Knicks’ best choice would be to hold onto Noah and look for trades instead of stretching his contract, Bondy writes.

Check out more Atlantic Division notes:

In the same story, Bondy looked at the pros and cons of the Knicks extending Kristaps Porzingis this offseason. On one hand, New York should lock up its best player since Patrick Ewing amid an unstable environment, with Porzingis set to play for the fourth coach of his career in 2018/19. Conversely, the Knicks plan to make use of their cap room in 2019, and extending the Latvian now would eat into that space — the team could simply let him hit restricted free agency and then negotiate or match any offer.
Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson denied the franchise has contemplated tanking in order to secure more favorable draft positioning, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Instead, Atkinson says the goal is to play as well as possible so Brooklyn becomes a desirable free agency destination. “We talk about internal improvement, we talk about player development, we talk about culture,” Atkinson said. “Tanking is not a word we use. It’s just not in our [vocabulary]. I don’t think the fans in New York want to see that.”
Following an injury to rookie Zhaire Smith, the Sixers may be in the market for wing depth, and veteran sharpshooter Jamal Crawford could fit the bill. In a recent appearance on Brandon Robinson’s Scoop B Podcast, Crawford spoke glowingly of Philadelphia and what playing there would mean to him (via Amico Hoops). “I like their city. I like how into it they are about basketball. I like their knowledge of basketball, how passionate they are. I’ve always loved coach Brett Brown,” Crawford said.

Joakim Noah Unlikely To Remain With Knicks

August 8th, 2018 at 5:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are planning to part ways with veteran center Joakim Noah before the start of training camp, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Ian Begley of ESPN. League sources say New York will use the stretch provision sometime after September 1 if it can’t find a trading partner before then.

The 33-year-old has been a disappointment ever since the Knicks gave him a four-year, $72MM contract to lure him away from the Bulls two years ago. Noah still has two seasons and $37.8MM remaining on that deal, which has tied up a significant portion of New York’s salary cap and has limited the team’s options in free agency.

By waiting until September 1, the Knicks will lock in Noah’s $18.53MM salary for the upcoming season and can stretch the remaining $19.295MM over three years. That amounts to roughly $6.4MM a year and will open an additional $12.9MM in cap space for next summer, when the Knicks hope to be major players in the free agent market.

Noah had expressed hope that this summer’s coaching change could give him a fresh start in New York, but he doesn’t appear to be in David Fizdale’s plans. Sources told ESPN that GM Scott Perry has been trying to work out a deal involving Noah since February’s trade deadline, but hasn’t been willing to give up a promising young player or future first-round picks. Perry has continued his efforts through the summer without success.

Noah was limited to seven games last summer through a combination of injuries, suspensions and coach’s decisions. He never returned to the team after a heated argument in practice with former coach Jeff Hornacek in January.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: Smart, Raptors’ Tax, Trier, Scariolo

July 20th, 2018 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guard Marcus Smart seriously considered signing his $6.1MM qualifying offer from the Celtics and becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald tweets. “I went back and forth internally, but it’s a problem a lot of people would like to have.” Smart said. “I definitely thought about taking the qualifying offer, but all my options were open.”

Smart wound up staying in Boston on a four-year, $52MM deal. “To be honest, I didn’t know where I was gonna end up. I was just enjoying this whole process,” he told The Associated Press. “It is a business, so things aren’t perfect. That’s why it’s called negotiations. You guys come together and you finally agree on something. We both agreed. Boston loves me and I love Boston.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Raptors continue to explore moves to shed salary and get under the luxury-tax line, Ian Begley of ESPN tweets. The Raptors still have over $137MM in salary commitments following the Kawhi Leonard deal and are nearly $14MM over the tax threshold.
Allonzo Trier has an outside chance to gain a spot on the 15-man Knicks roster after a solid showing in summer-league action, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Trier, an undrafted guard out of Arizona, has a two-way contract but if he makes a strong impression in training camp, it could be converted to a standard contract. The Knicks waived forward Troy Williams this week, trimming their 15-man roster to the league limit, and could open up another spot if they waive Joakim Noah and utilize the stretch provision for the remaining money on his bloated deal.
Italian head coach Sergio Scariolo is close to joining Nick Nurse‘s Raptors staff, according to a Sportando report. Scariolo, who is also the Spanish national team coach, has been offered a position but needs to work out a settlement with the Spanish federation, since he has a contract with it until 2020. The situation is expected to be resolved, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun relays. The Hornets were also interested in hiring Scariolo, Wolstat adds.

Knicks Rumors: Porzingis, Hezonja, 2019, Noah

July 11th, 2018 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

Devin Booker has already signed a maximum-salary extension with the Suns, and Karl-Anthony Towns is discussing a similar deal with the Timberwolves, but the Knicks appear to be in no rush to lock up Kristaps Porzingis to a long-term rookie scale extension of his own. As Ian Begley of ESPN.com notes, signing Porzingis now would mean giving up about $10MM in 2019 cap room, so the team may prefer to wait until next summer to get something done with the standout big man.

“We’ll continue to stay in touch with Kristaps,” Knicks GM Scott Perry said on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “He’s part of our long-term plan. But we’ll get all that figured out at the appropriate time in terms of when we get into that negotiation. We’re comfortable with were at with him and we’ll work together with he and his representation to figure something out.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

This year’s signing of Mario Hezonja may represent a hedge against striking out on top free agents in 2019, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. As Berman explains, the Knicks would probably have to renounce Hezonja next summer in order to clear cap room for a maximum-salary free agent, but if New York doesn’t need to maximize its space, Hezonja’s Non-Bird rights should give the team the ability to make a competitive offer to retain him for one more than one season.
Knicks president Steve Mills sounds like he doesn’t want to put all his eggs into one basket when it comes to landing a star free agent in 2019, Berman adds. “We didn’t say our ultimate goal was to have cap room in 2019 — that’s just a byproduct of the situation of how our salaries line up,” Mills said. “There’s no reason to think if Mario does really well, he shouldn’t be part of what we’re doing. Our goal is to put together a Knick team that could be competitive in the long-term.”
Speaking of Hezonja, he said he got offers from the Lakers, Trail Blazers, and Thunder before he accepted the Knicks’ proposal, Berman writes in a separate article.
According to GM Scott Perry, all options are still in play for Joakim Noah, whether that means trading, stretching, or keeping him, per Ian Begley and Nick Friedell. “He’s still a member of the Knicks franchise right now,” Perry said of Noah. “He’s part of this team. Like we said to you earlier, all options are on the table for us concerning him, whether it’s coming back or some sort of trade or whatever the case may be.”
During his introductory press conference as a Pacer, Kyle O’Quinn made a comment that could be interpreted as a dig at the Knicks. “I just felt like at this point, I owed it to myself to be a part of something bigger than next year’s draft,” O’Quinn said, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News relays.

New York Notes: Robinson, Lin, Nets, Noah

July 9th, 2018 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Despite some speculation that he may be a first-rounder, the Knicks were able to nab Mitchell Robinson with the 36th overall pick in last month’s draft. That was never a lock though, and a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post that the Knicks mulled the possibility of trading up a few spots in the draft to make sure they’d be able to grab the young center.

Robinson, who signed his first NBA contract on Sunday, looked good in Summer League play later in the day, putting up 12 points and 11 rebounds with a pair of blocks against Utah. As Berman writes in a separate article for The Post, the rookie big man still wants to get in better shape, but is optimistic that he’ll be able to make an impact for the Knicks.

“I feel I really can play in the NBA,” Robinson said. “Nowadays you got the 7-footer who can jump out of the gym. I’m one of them. It will work out great for me.”

Here’s more from out of New York on the Knicks and Nets:

Brian Lewis of The New York Post checks in on Jeremy Lin‘s recovery from a torn patellar tendon. While the Nets point guard hasn’t played five-on-five ball yet, he anticipates being ready to go for training camp.
In another story for The Post, Lewis explores what’s next for the Nets now that Dwight Howard‘s buyout has been finalized. That agreement opened up more cap room, but GM Sean Marks doesn’t sound like he’s in a hurry to spend it. “I wouldn’t rule anything out. I’d just say we’re constantly weighing our options,” Marks said. “We’re going to be strategic and see how [free agency] comes. The longer the process is drawn out and going into July, there will probably be better deals out there.”
Joakim Noah‘s future with the Knicks remains a question mark, but the big man sounds enthusiastic about the idea of staying in New York and playing for new head coach David Fizdale, as he told TMZ this weekend.
Marc Berman of The New York Post takes a closer look at Juwan Howard Jr., who is playing for the Knicks in Summer League and hopes to get an invite to join the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate. Fizdale, of course, has a good relationship with Howard’s father from their days in Miami.

Knicks Notes: Kanter, O’Quinn, Defense, Noah

May 10th, 2018 at 10:11pm CST by marksuleymanov

Enes Kanter‘s future with the Knicks is up in the air as the center wields an $18.6MM player option for the 2018/19 season. Kanter has said throughout the year that he loves playing in the Big Apple and hopes to remain with the Knicks beyond the current season. Knicks general manager Steve Mills shares the same sentiment, as he said to MSG Network (via ESPN’s Ian Begley).

“Enes wants to be here in New York,” Mills said.

Kanter enjoyed a productive first season in New York, averaging a double-double of 14.1 PPG and 11.0 RPG in 71 games. New York acquired Kanter in the trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to the Thunder. In an otherwise forgettable season, Kanter’s performance was a bright spot and Mills indicates that it’s ultimately his option on whether or not he will call New York home in 2018/19.

“Really, it’s his [decision],” Mills said. “He has to choose to opt in.”

Check out more Knicks news and notes below:

Kyle O’Quinn may have played his last game with the Knicks, as he has his own player option decision to make. As Marc Berman of the New York Post reports, O’Quinn recently switched agents, going from ASM Sports to Mark Bartelstein — who also represents Kanter. O’Quinn praised the hiring of David Fizdale, stating he’s made a solid impression as a coach around the league.
The Knicks have been a poor defensive team in recent years, which was on full display this season. Fizdale said in his introductory press conference that defense will be emphasized under his leadership. That mindset will be necessary if the Knicks wants to compete again, Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes.
As we relayed earlier, despite his congratulatory remarks to Fizdale, embattled Knicks center Joakim Noah remains unlikely to regain a role with the club.