Knicks Trade Rumors: Joakim Noah won’t return to team before deadline
New York Knicks center Joakim Noah has been placed on the trade market. He will not return to the Knicks before the 2018 NBA trade deadline.
The New York Knicks are one week away from a date that will alter the trajectory of the organization for years to come. That may sound like a hyperbolic statement, but New York is widely expected to be one of the most active teams in the NBA leading up to the trade deadline.
The front office isn’t putting all of its eggs in one basket, but one name continues to surface in anticipation of what should be a wild day in the NBA: Joakim Noah.
Noah’s presence on the bench has been as noteworthy as his massive hit against the salary cap. In recent days, however, his absence from games has captured headlines, as he was sent home by the organization after engaging in a heated confrontation with head coach Jeff Hornacek.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Knicks won’t ask Noah to return to the team before the 2018 NBA trade deadline on Feb. 8—a date by which the organization hopes to be able to unload him.
"Exiled New York Knicks center Joakim Noah won’t be required to return to the team before the passing of the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline, league sources told ESPN.The Knicks and Noah’s representation discussed his status Wednesday and agreed that Noah would stay away from the team until the front office can exhaust any trade possibilities between now and the deadline, league sources said."
Trading Noah will be a difficult task, but the desire to part ways is shared by both the front office and the player in this polarizing instance.
The unfortunate reality of this situation is that Noah believes he can still perform at a high level, but the Knicks aren’t affording him the opportunity to prove it. Instead of being able to defend himself against his critics, Noah has appeared in just seven games for the Knicks in 2017-18.
Whether or not you believe Noah would be able to justify his contract if he were afforded playing time, it’s far from surprising that the competitor within him has grown overwhelmingly frustrated.
After Noah and Hornacek had a confrontation that nearly turned physical, however, the two sides appear to have reached the point of no return.
Noah’s tenure with the Knicks was promising, as the New York City native prepared to come home and bring back some of the long-missing ’90s grit back to The Mecca. Unfortunately, he’s been sidelined by injuries and a 20-game suspension for substance abuse.
Now lost in the shuffle of a deep and convoluted rotation, Noah is looking for a way out of a basketball dream that devolved into a nightmare.
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The Joakim Noah saga has taken a turn for the worst. The New York Knicks don’t intend to let it last much longer.