NBA Trade Rumors: Best Landing Spots for Joakim Noah

5. Indiana Pacers

I’ll address the elephant in the room before it takes up any more space: it’d be hard to imagine the Chicago Bulls trading Joakim Noah to a division rival. Considering that rival is just .006 win percentage points behind the Bulls in the standings, the likelihood of such a trade is inches away from, “Never.”

Nevertheless, it’d be silly to ignore how well Noah would fit with the Indiana Pacers.

Indiana is a perimeter-oriented team that relies heavily on the contributions of star forward Paul George. The likes of Monta Ellis, George Hill, C.J. Miles and Rodney Stuckey round out an attack that’s worked well enough to give the Pacers 16 wins through 28 games.

The issue in Indiana: a lack of interior defense and playmaking.

Jordan Hill is a respectable scorer and rebounder, and the injured Myles Turner has upside, but neither provide enough immediate value. Indiana is No. 16 in rebounding, No. 15 in offensive rebounds per game, and No. 23 in assists—three areas in which Noah, on an expiring contract, could contribute from the opening tip.

George has already led the Pacers to two Eastern Conference Finals appearances, so a third is hardly out of the question. Having a player who can secure the defense and create from the pinch post would only increase those odds.

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