Recent New York Knicks rumors involve Joakim Noah, as the team has reportedly ramped up its efforts to trade the disgruntled center.
New York Knicks rumors have come out in full force recently. With the 2018 NBA Trade deadline less than two weeks away, the Knicks have decisions to make. Many of the recent trade rumors have involved the center spot, which should surprise no one.
As the roster is currently constructed, the Knicks have a logjam at the center position. Enes Kanter has held down the starting spot with Kyle O’Quinn has his backup. That has relegated Willy Hernangomez and Joakim Noah to the end of the bench.
With so many players at one position, it should come as no surprise that the Knicks are fielding offers from other teams involving their centers. Last week during their seven-game road trip, it was reported that both O’Quinn and Hernangomez were garnering interest on the trade market.
O’Quinn has drawn attention from the Golden State Warriors reportedly, while Hernangomez has piqued the interest of the Utah Jazz. Coincidentally, those are two teams the Knicks faced off against during their road trip, yet neither player appeared in the game against the interested parties.
The Knicks have a lot to consider with both players. Both are on very team-friendly contracts and produce when on the court. Hernangomez has youth and promise as a selling point, while O’Quinn’s versatility would help a number of contending teams.
However, those are not the centers that the Knicks would like to trade. Instead, the Knicks would love to trade Noah and his albatross of a contract.
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
Last offseason, the Phil Jackson-led Knicks signed Noah to a four-year, $72.6 million deal. Noah, who was 31 years old, was already showing signs of wear and tear, as he had not been productive since the 2013-14 season. That did not stop Jackson from paying him lavishly, and now the organization is paying for it.
The contract alone is difficult to move. When you add in his production, or lack thereof, and injury history it becomes an almost impossible task. However, it is something that the Knicks will try to do.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks are ramping up their effort to trade Noah. This is in part due to Noah leaving the team last week.
With Kristaps Porzingis and O’Quinn sidelined against the Warriors last week, many expected Noah to get some playing time. That didn’t happen, as Noah didn’t check into the game until things were pretty much decided.
Noah played 4:31, checking in with 10:09 remaining in the fourth quarter and being removed at the 5:37 mark. It was a move that Berman reports bothered Noah, as it hurt his feelings.
Following the game, Noah informed the team that he would be leaving for personal reasons. He missed the games against the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns. They are hoping that he will return for Tuesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets, but Berman reports that he may not rejoin the team until Thursday, prior to their Friday night game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Those kinds of actions are not going to help the Knicks’ case when trying to trade Noah. There are very few positives to a team acquiring Noah outside of maybe his veteran leadership and locker room presence. There are almost $38 million reasons to not take on Noah, in addition to eroding skills.
While the Knicks would love to trade Noah, the price would be steep. According to Berman, teams have no interest in acquiring Noah unless New York attaches its 2018 first round pick in the deal. That is something the team has refused to do, as it currently has a record of 22-28 and looks destined for the NBA Draft Lottery.
This is where O’Quinn and Hernangomez come in. If the Knicks are able to acquire a first round pick for either of those players, maybe they would be more inclined to add a first round pick to a deal involving Noah.
Getting Noah’s contract off the books would be a big win for the Knicks. However, holding onto their first round pick in the loaded 2018 NBA Draft would be a bigger win.
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The Knicks front office is going to have to get creative if they truly want to trade Noah. Their 2018 first round pick should be off the table, but if they are able to acquire another pick, they could make something happen.