JUST GO AWAY!
Knicks reportedly set to pay Noah to walk
For Joakim Noah, the Knicks are the gift that keeps on giving.
First, they bid against themselves to sign Noah to an above-market, $72 million deal. And now, they’ve reportedly agreed to pay him what’s left of that money without burdening him with coming to work.
As expected, the two sides are finalizing a buyout so that Noah won’t have to report to training camp or today’s Media Day, according to The Athletic. It will end a long standoff and one of the most disappointing stints in Knicks history, but it’s difficult to understand why the Knicks are so willing to bend to Noah’s desires.
It’s as if his poor play and attitude should be rewarded.
By waiving and stretching the center, the Knicks will create roughly $12.85 million in cap space for 2019. However, they’ll also be taking cap hits on Noah at $6.4 million annually through 2021.
The Knicks could’ve done the same thing next summer, giving them another year to try to work out a trade for full cap relief from Phil Jackson’s biggest mistake. Thus far, the Knicks have rightfully resisted attaching a firstround pick to a Noah deal. But as the Nets discovered when they unloaded Timofey Mozgov’s albatross contract this offseason, things change and opportunities open up.
The only justifications for waiving Noah now would be to a) avoid a potential distraction and disgruntled player in David Fizdale’s first season (not a good reason or the right message as they try to instill a culture of ‘accountability’), or b) because Noah is willing to give up significantly more money now in a buyout, as opposed to later (the financial particulars of a buyout are still being negotiated, according to a source).
Noah will become a free agent following the buyout. He’s the big winner.
The front office has not spoken about its negotiations with Noah or even acknowledged why he hasn’t been with the team since January. The Knicks are saying his absence is due to “personal reasons,” which would be true if personal reasons also can mean, “He clashed with Jeff Hornacek at practice and is upset that he’s not playing.”
GM Scott Perry said last week they’re working toward “a resolution,” and everybody is cool with it.
“I think we’re comfortable with how we’ve gone through the process. He’s comfortable. His representation is comfortable,” he said. “Once that changes we’ll update you on that, but we’re comfortable with how the whole process and situation is going.”
Noah’s two seasons with the Knicks were a disaster. He underwent two surgeries (knee, shoulder) and served a 20-game suspension after testing positive for PEDs. He totaled 53 games, averaged fewer than five points, shot under 50% from the foul line, was paid $34 million and is still owed $38 million.
He left the Knicks in January – during the middle of a Western Conference road trip – after an altercation with Hornacek. Noah was upset about his playing time. He retreated to Malibu, among other tropical places, and was photographed by TMZ changing his clothes in the streets of California last month.
A good life if you can get it.