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At the beginning of the year it was hard to imagine Joakim Noah taking a diminished role in stride. The team’s nice start, in spite of Noah’s suspension, probably helped quell the tide. A prideful New Yorker and determined player, his body has failed him and his time away from the game has oxidized into a dense layer of rust. It simmered for a long time. Then finally things boiled over.
Sources: After heated verbal exchange in practice between Joakim Noah and coach Jeff Hornacek last week, the Knicks are exploring avenues to part with Noah. He has two years remaining on the four-year, $72M deal he signed in 2016.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 29, 2018
Avenues. Plural. Not because Noah is any way tradable but because there are multiple ways to extinguish the salary.
Stretch provision for Joakim Noah would be $7,565,000 over 5 years beginning in 2018-19 and ending in 2022-23. That is a lot of dead cap space for a team likely to have cap flexibility starting in 2020. Cap relief would do little for the Knicks this summer.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) January 29, 2018
If the Knicks decided to Bobby Bonilla him they’d just have a bunch of money blocked off right when it would be ever so critical to have every last dollar. Kristaps Porzingis will be cleanly into his prime in 2022-23 at 27-years old. The last thing the Knicks need is no chance of signing a strong rotation player to a competitive deal because they were scared of spending too much money all at once.
The next option would be a buyout.
Sources with @wojespn: there have been no buyout talks between the Knicks and Joakim Noah as Noah remains away from the team amid acrimony with NYK coaches. Details here: https://t.co/tLB0pcYZP7
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) January 29, 2018
The idea that Noah is so pissed that he will leave money on the table to get away from his hometown is pretty ludicrous, however. A buyout is essentially an agreement to terminate the deal immediately for an agreed upon dollar amount. The Knicks (James Dolan) will probably never pay a player to take a hike... right?
Once again, trading this guy is downright impossible. So the only other option I can think of is to Cuttino Mobilize and get this guy to read the writing on the wall. If he loves New York city and wants the people of New York to have a successful Knicks squad, he will retire and open up New York’s cap for the betterment of basketball.
Good grief. It almost seems more likely that they can trade him, but then you try to get a trade done on trade machine and you realize how far gone this situation is. Your. New. York. KNICKS!