Joakim Noah Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Rumors: Payton, Noah, Biyombo, Hernangomez

February 7th, 2018 at 8:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks got some devastating news on Tuesday night, as an MRI revealed that Kristaps Porzingis suffered a torn ACL, sidelining him for the rest of the 2017/18 season — and likely for the start of next season too.

After a solid start to the year, there was speculation that the Knicks could remain in the playoff picture in the East, with key contributors like Porzingis and Enes Kanter publicly encouraging the organization to push for the postseason rather than selling off assets. Already mired in a slump though, the Knicks are now nine games below .500 and their playoff hopes appear to be on life support.

With the Porzingis injury further reducing the Knicks’ chances of making a late-season run, members of the franchise have already discussed giving the team’s young players more minutes for the rest of the year, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPN (Twitter link). While Begley says it’s not clear yet whether that’s the definitive plan, it would certainly make sense to shift in that direction.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

The Knicks have checked in on Magic guard Elfrid Payton, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who notes that Knicks GM Scott Perry was a member of Orlando’s front office when the club drafted Payton. Berman adds that Perry and the Knicks view Payton as the type of athletic player they covet, and believe the fourth-year point guard has more upside as a defender than the advanced metrics suggest.
According to Berman, the Knicks and Magic have engaged in preliminary talks about Payton, and the two teams have discussed the possibility of including highly-paid bigs Joakim Noah and Bismack Biyombo in a deal. Still, these talks occurred before Porzingis went down on Tuesday, so it’s not clear how that injury impacts New York’s plans.
The Nuggets are one of about a dozen teams that have inquired on Willy Hernangomez, but the young center isn’t being discussed in talks with the Magic, sources tell Berman. The Knicks would likely move Hernangomez if they could get a first-round pick or a promising young player at a different position in return, says Berman.
With Porzingis potentially sidelined until the 2019 calendar year, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton examines how the injury will affect the Knicks’ offseason plans. If Porzingis misses a good chunk of the 2018/19 season, the team may end putting off any major veteran additions until at least 2019, Pelton notes. He adds that the injury could make a Courtney Lee trade more viable for the Knicks, since Lee is more of a win-now piece.

New York Notes: Trade Chips, Marks, Baker

February 2nd, 2018 at 8:02pm CST by Austin Kent

The Knicks are sellers ahead of the February 8 trade deadline, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes, with their eyes set on the 2019 free agent class rather than anything short-term. He broke down several players who could be shed in the team’s pursuit of draft assets and cap flexibility.

Bondy writes that the Knicks would love to deal Joakim Noah but, as has been discussed ad nauseam, such a deal isn’t likely to come to fruition. Neither, Bondy says, is a trade involving Enes Kanter, the 25-year-old whose comeback season and $18MM contract make him likely to remain in the Big Apple.

A more realistic bet to be traded is Willy Hernangomez, whose age, contract and potential would be more appealing than, say, Noah.

Other players like Courtney Lee and Michael Beasley are likely to remain with the Knicks, Bondy says — the former because he’s a consistent producer on the young squad and the latter because there hasn’t been much interest outside of the Knicks organization itself.

There’s more out of Brooklyn and New York this evening:

The Nets won’t rule out dealing some of their veteran players, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes, but general manager Sean Marks isn’t rushing out to unload them either. “At the end of the day, if we’ve invested a lot of sweat equity in guys, I’d like that to be fruitful for the Nets organization,” he said. Wings DeMarre Carroll and Joe Harris have been said to be viable assets as the deadline approaches.
Injured Knicks guard Ron Baker will have to choose whether or not to undergo surgery on his shoulder, says Marc Berman of The New York Post. One specialist recommended such a procedure that would sideline Baker for three-to-six months.
In case you hadn’t guessed by now, Joakim Noah and Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek “pretty much hate each other,” Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News tweets.

Joakim Noah Away From Knicks Until Further Notice

February 2nd, 2018 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 2, 11:02am: The Knicks have confirmed that Noah will remain away from the team “until further notice,” tweets Berman. The club referred to it as a mutual decision.

JANUARY 31, 11:28pm: The Knicks and Noah’s reps discussed his status on Wednesday, and the team won’t require him to report back before next Thursday’s trade deadline, says ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

New York’s front office continues to exhaust trade options for Noah, but the club is unwilling to attach valuable draft picks or young players to the center’s contract to attract interest, per Woj. If that stance doesn’t change, it’s hard to imagine the Knicks finding a taker, unless they’re willing to absorb another bad contract or two.

JANUARY 31, 8:45am: Joakim Noah remains away from the Knicks this week, and there’s a growing sense that he may not return to the club until after the February 8 trade deadline, if at all, according to reports from ESPN’s Ian Begley and Marc Berman of The New York Post.

As we’ve previously detailed, reported altercations between Noah and head coach Jeff Hornacek over the big man’s playing time led to the Knicks sending him away for what the team referred to as “personal reasons.” During Noah’s absence, New York’s front office has increased its efforts to find a trade partner willing to take on his sizable contract. The 32-year-old was previously expected to report back to the club later this week, but the fact that now he may not return before the deadline suggests those trade efforts are ongoing.

According to Berman, teams have been open to acquiring Noah if the Knicks include their 2018 first-rounder in a deal, but New York has been unwilling to put that pick on the table. If that stance doesn’t change and the team can’t find a suitable deal for Noah before the deadline, it’s unclear what the next steps are for the team and the player.

As Begley observes, it may not be productive to bring back a disgruntled, little-used veteran at a time when the Knicks are trying to build a positive culture and develop their young players. However, as both Berman and Begley note, the Knicks’ non-trade options for Noah are very limited.

Buyout discussions haven’t taken place, and the veteran center wouldn’t be eager to give back a significant chunk of money in a buyout anyway. Waiving Noah and stretching the final two years of his contract over five seasons is one possibility, but it would have a major impact on the Knicks’ salary cap projections through 2022/23, as we detailed last month. Cutting Noah outright and leaving his cap hits as is would also be an option for the team, albeit not a particularly appealing one.

Knicks Notes: Porzingis, Bradley, Jack

January 30th, 2018 at 4:58pm CST by Austin Kent

The Knicks have fallen out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture thanks to a recent slide but star forward Kristaps Porzingis would still prefer the team to make a push to sneak back in, Ian Begley of ESPN writes.

Porzingis, averaging 23.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in his third season, says that he’s eager to gain playoff experience but concedes that the team’s decision is out of his control.

“I don’t think it’s healthy for any player to have [tanking] in their minds,” Porzingis said. “Whatever happens, you give your all on the court and if it doesn’t work out and you can’t win games then something else good might happen and you have that. But as a player your mindset has to be going out and giving 110 percent and live with the results.”

There’s more out of the Big Apple today:

It appears as though the Knicks contacted the Pistons about Avery Bradley prior to his being sent to the Clippers, Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press writes.
There’s a case to be made for the Knicks offering Jarrett Jack to a contender at the deadline but the veteran point guard would rather remain with New York, a team he thinks can possibly claw back into the postseason picture, Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes.
The Knicks are looking for a way to clear their books of Joakim Noah‘s contract, especially after a heated exchange between the player and head coach Jeff Hornacek. Ian Begley and Bobby Marks of ESPN recently wrote about the options that New York actually has available to them.

Latest On Joakim Noah

January 29th, 2018 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

After a Friday report indicated that the Knicks were increasing their efforts to trade Joakim Noah, more details on the rift between Noah and the Knicks – as well as his absence from the team – surfaced today, with Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reporting that the front office is “exploring avenues” to part with the veteran center.

According to various reports, including one from Marc Stein of The New York Times, Noah expressed displeasure with his playing time and his role when he was removed from last Tuesday’s game against the Warriors, then had another heated exchange with head coach Jeff Hornacek during Wednesday’s practice in Denver. At that point, the Knicks granted Noah time away from the team for what was essentially meant to be a “cooling-off period,” writes Stein.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN, Noah is currently working out and is awaiting word from the Knicks on the next steps for rejoining the team. Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News suggests that Noah is waiting to hear if he should report back to the club at all, though there’s an expectation he’ll return — his contract will be very difficult to trade, and there’s little upside to waiving him at this point.

Here’s more on Noah:

There have been no discussions between Noah and the Knicks so far about a buyout, according to Begley, who hears from sources that the 32-year-old isn’t inclined to give up significant money to accommodate a buyout.
A source tells Bondy that the Cavaliers entertained the possibility of taking on Noah during the 2017 offseason as part of a Kyrie Irving trade. The kicker? Kristaps Porzingis would have needed to be included. The Knicks weren’t interested at the time, according to Bondy, and there’s no indication that the club would have any interest now in moving Noah by attaching him to Porzingis or another prime asset.
Noah’s frustration with his role (or lack thereof) isn’t new. According to Steve Aschburner of NBA.com (Twitter link), Noah told a confidante over a month ago that his playing time situation was stressful.
There’s a belief that there would still be a market for Noah if he’s eventually waived or bought out, writes Charania. I imagine the big man would have to settle for a minimum salary contract in that scenario.

Knicks Increasing Efforts To Move Joakim Noah

January 29th, 2018 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 29: The Knicks are “exploring avenues” to part with Noah, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, who tweets that the veteran center had a heated verbal exchange with Jeff Hornacek during a practice last week.

If New York can’t find a trade partner willing to take on Noah, waiving him and stretching his contract is an option. Last month, we broke down the impact of such a move on the Knicks’ salary cap.

JANUARY 26: Joakim Noah is currently away from the Knicks for what the team is calling “personal reasons,” and sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post that the veteran center is unhappy with his situation in New York. As a result, the Knicks have “ramped up” their efforts to trade Noah, reports Berman, citing a source.

Noah, like fellow center Willy Hernangomez, has seen his role reduced this season due to the Knicks’ frontcourt logjam. Enes Kanter and Kyle O’Quinn have been the team’s primary centers for most of the 2017/18 campaign.

With O’Quinn and Kristaps Porzingis sidelined on Tuesday against Golden State, Noah had been hoping to see increased minutes. However, he only played sparingly in garbage time and was “visibly upset” after the game, according to Berman, who suggests that the incident may have triggered Noah’s departure from the team. Berman adds that the veteran center might not rejoin the Knicks until next Thursday.

While a trade may be a preferred outcome for both the Knicks and Noah, it’s hard to imagine the team finding a trade partner willing to take on the big man’s massive contract. Noah, who has a cap hit of $17.765MM for 2017/18, will still have two years and about $37.83MM in guaranteed money left on his deal after this season.

In previous trade talks, the only way the Knicks could get another team to consider taking on Noah was by attaching their 2018 first-round pick, according to Berman. New York’s front office is very much against giving up that first-rounder, which looks increasingly likely to be a lottery selection, so a Noah deal appears to be a long shot. Nonetheless, the Knicks plan to ask teams around the NBA about the idea as the trade deadline nears, says Berman.

Knicks Notes: Beasley, Walker, Noah

January 25th, 2018 at 5:02pm CST by marksuleymanov

Michael Beasley has enjoyed a renaissance season of sorts for the Knicks this year. The soon-to-be 30-year-old is on a one-year minimum deal and has already begun to think of his future beyond the 2017/18 season, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

Beasley has bounced around to six different teams in his career. Prior to the Knicks’ loss to the Warriors earlier this week, Kevin Durant — Beasley’s former high school teammate — raved about Beasley’s skill set and said he would like to team with him in Golden State. Instead, Beasley said that he is focused on the Knicks and settling down in one place for the rest of his career.

“One thing I do think about it is me being tired of moving — having a long-time home,’’ Beasley added. “I don’t want to move anymore.’’

In 41 games (seven starts), Beasley has averaged 12.8 PPG and 5.0 RPG for New York. As the Knicks prepare for the February 8 trade deadline, the team’s moves, or lack thereof, could be an indicator of where Beasley fits into future plans.

Check out other Knicks news and notes below:

Joakim Noah has taken a leave from the team, citing personal reasons, and is expected to miss the Knicks’ next two games, Berman relays in a separate story. With Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle O’Quinn missing the Knicks’ contest against the Warriors on Tuesday, Noah only played briefly in the fourth quarter. Noah has appeared in just seven games this season as the Knicks have managed a surplus of players at the center position.
While acquiring Kemba Walker would be an instant upgrade, the Knicks should not swing a trade if it means giving up young talent or draft picks, Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders writes. Walker, a New York native, has enjoyed some historical performances at Madison Square Garden; he was also one of just four players in 2016/17 to average at least 23 points, five assists, and three treys made per game. But Walker alone does not solve New York’s issues and is therefore not worth a significant package of picks and talent, Beer opines.

Knicks Notes: Ntilikina, Porzingis, Noah, Hardaway

December 31st, 2017 at 1:45pm CST by marksuleymanov

On the heels of two strong performances, Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek wants to find more minutes for rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina, Newsday’s Al Iannazzone writes. Veteran Jarrett Jack remains the starter with Ntilikina taking over late in games but the team does not want to push him too hard early in his career.

“We’re trying to get him some more minutes,” Hornacek said. “It makes it difficult late in games if he’s going well, he ends up playing a lot of minutes. Maybe we need to give him a break here and there.”

Ntilikina, 19, has averaged 6.0 PPG and 3.5 APG for the Knicks in 33 games while flashing his defensive capabilities. The Knicks took a risk drafting Ntilikina out of France with the eighth overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft. The organization envisions him as the eventual full-time point guard. For now, the team will be cautious with his workload. “Not yet,” Hornacek said about giving Ntilikina more minutes. “That’s something we’ll continue to look at it, but for now, no.”

Check out other Knicks news below:

Kristaps Porzingis‘ frustration with his recent shooting struggles has spilled over into the referees’ officiating, Marc Berman of the New York Post relays. Porzingis voiced his concern with a lack of called fouls on his shots and described his trick to avoid receiving technical fouls. “When something like that happens, I look at the ref,’’ Porzingis said. “If I say something I try to delete it and sprint back. When I’m sprinting back, I’m already not thinking about it. That’s how I cut it off at that moment.’’ Porzingis is still averaging a career-best 24.5 PPG but his field goal percentage has dipped to .446%.
Joakim Noah received some rare playing time in the Knicks’ win over the Pelicans on Saturday and was appreciative of the minutes, Berman writes in a separate story. While Noah logged just four points and rebounds in 12 minutes, it was a good way to end a road trip that started with a DNP against his former team, the Bulls, in Chicago.
It’s no coincidence that a lot of the Knicks’ struggles with winning and scoring started once Tim Hardaway Jr. went down with a phantom stress injury in his left leg, several teammates told Berman of the New York Post. Hardaway was a steady presence, averaging a career-best 17.8 PPG in 21 games. The team continues to hope their starting guard is back sometime in January.

Knicks GM: No Plans For A Noah Buyout

December 9th, 2017 at 5:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Joakim Noah has barely played since his PED suspension ended last month, but the Knicks have no thoughts of trying to get him to agree to a buyout, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Noah has been on the court for just 11 minutes in two games this season and has appeared in just 48 total games since signing a four-year, $72MM deal in the summer of 2016. He still has two seasons and $37.825MM left on that contract, making him virtually impossible for the team to trade.

GM Scott Perry remains a supporter of Noah’s and believes the 32-year-old center will eventually become an asset.

“I like having some veteran people around to help a young team,” Perry said. “His veteran experience is very helpful to have in the locker room. As of right now, I’m comfortable he’s here. Let’s see what he can contribute going forward. He’s done everything we’ve asked of him and embraced where he is in his career. It’ll happen at some point [that he”ll play].’’

While Noah was sidelined, he fell to fourth on the depth chart behind starting center Enes Kanter, who was acquired from the Thunder in the Carmelo Anthony trade, and backups Kyle O’Quinn and Willy Hernangomez. Playing time is also an issue for Hernangomez, who has appeared in just 14 games this season and is seeing less than 11 minutes per night.

Noah has accepted blame for his plight, which was created through a mix of injuries and the 20-game suspension. He had knee and hamstring injuries last season, then needed surgery in April for a torn rotator cuff. He took Androgen to speed up the healing process, which resulted in his suspension.

Noah said he feels like a rookie again as he tries to work his way back into the rotation. He has already made one trip to the Knicks’ G League affiliate in Westchester as a way to get some playing time and is willing to go there again.

“I’ve always been a team guy,’’ Noah said. “That’s never going to change. That’s who I am. I support all my teammates. It’s not about my situation. I made my mistakes. My injuries, everything, I’m coming from the bottom. I’m OK. I feel good. I feel healthy. And whenever my number is called, I’m ready.”

New York Notes: Jack, Noah, Hollis-Jefferson, Allen

December 3rd, 2017 at 11:52am CST by Arthur Hill

Point guard Jarrett Jack, who was considered a candidate to be waived before the season began, has been an overlooked part of the Knicks‘ resurgence, according to Howie Kussoy of The New York Post. The 13-year veteran has made an impact since signing with New York in September, ranking 16th in the league with 5.9 assists per game and second in assist ratio. He has also brought a passing culture to the Knicks, who rank fifth in the league in assists after finishing 19th last season.

“When I got here I kind of gauged the lineup of the guys I was playing with … [and] it calls for somebody within that five, to kind of be like, ‘Hey man, I can’t try and barge my way into the offense,’” Jack explained. “I’ve got to sacrifice for the betterment of everybody and it’s been productive for us. I’m all good with just setting the table, understanding my role and knowing what’s been great and positive for the team.”

There’s more NBA news from New York City:

Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek thinks Joakim Noah will benefit from the chance to get some playing time in the G League, Kussoy writes in a separate story. Noah has seen just three minutes of action since returning from a suspension, finding himself fourth in the center rotation. “It’s tough on all of them,” Hornacek said. “Periodically, we want to try to make sure we get them in at some point and get some minutes. It’s hard if you go two months and don’t play. That’s why you saw Jo get some tune-up work with the G-League team.”
Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson returned to the court Saturday after missing two games with a sprained ankle, but he wasn’t in his customary starting position, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Hollis-Jefferson started the first 18 games he played this season, but coach Kenny Atkinson opted to stick with stretch four Trevor Booker. “We talked about it before the game,” Atkinson said. “Trevor had a really great game in Dallas, was feeling good. Rondae’s obviously coming back from an injury, so that was the thinking there.”
Rookie center Jarrett Allen is still adjusting to life in the NBA, but he is making a strong impression on Atkinson, according to Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily. “I’m happy with how he fits our system, I’m happy with his competitiveness, happy that he gives us a 7-foot rim protector and rim-roller,” Atkinson said. “We’re very good defensively when he’s on the court, the analytics back that up, he’s what he thought.”