Nowhere to go with Noah! Ex-Bull sits in Chi-town
CHICAGO — Joakim Noah will not play at the United Center this season. And that’s only because he’s no longer good enough to make the roster.
Continuing the center’s remarkable fall since signing a $72 million contract with the Knicks, Noah was inactive Wednesday against the Bulls. It was the Knicks’ final game this season in Chicago — the place Noah earned his stripes as an All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year — following a matchup earlier this month when the 32-year-old was also inactive.
Noah has totaled just 21 minutes this entire season while serving as the fourth center behind Enes Kanter, Kyle O’Quinn and Willy Hernangomez. Hornacek reasoned that the Knicks needed to activate another guard Wednesday because the Bulls play with small lineups.
Noah was on the bench at the United Center, where only a year earlier he led the Knicks to a victory and was the subject of a video tribute.
“We have a lot of guys,” Hornacek said. “The NBA has to say if you have 15 guys all 15 guys could dress. It’s ridiculous that we have to do this every game. But that’s what it is right now so we have to figure out if there’s a bigger need or somebody gets hurt at the big spot or the guard spot. So that’s how we have to approach it.”
It’s no secret that the Knicks would unload Noah if there were any takers. However, the $55 million remaining on his deal makes him essentially immovable. According to sources, the Cavs had discussed taking on Noah if New York also dealt Kristaps Porzingis in a swap for Kyrie Irving in July. The Knicks weren’t interested. They’re also not interested in buying out Noah, who has undergone two surgeries and served a
20-game suspension for PED use since joining the Knicks.
While with the Bulls, Noah played in 60 postseason games, advanced to the conference finals, made two All-Star teams and was an All-NBA First Team selection.
Now you have to wonder if he’ll ever again play in Chicago. window offered by coach Jeff Hornacek was a hope his starting guard will play again in January. The 25-year-old was recently re-evaluated and is progressing as expected, according to the Knicks.
That means he can jump — but not too high.
“I’m doing a little bit more movements but not running sprints or jumping as in dunking,” he said.
Hardaway Jr. has said he is unsure how the injury developed, and the updates from the Knicks have left much to the imagination. Their original medical release only disclosed that Hardaway Jr. — who signed a $71 million contract over the summer — would be re-evaluated in two weeks. Over three weeks later, Hardaway Jr. has progressed as expected and still isn’t close to playing basketball.
“I really definitely want to play,” he said. “I’m on the sidelines doing whatever I can to help the team whether it’s calling out the other team’s plays or giving my teammates confidence when they get taken out of the game or giving them ideas from what I see from a fan perspective or coaching perspective. It hurts, it sucks. But at the same time I’ve got to take care of this.”