1. Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are the best fit for Joakim Noah. They are relatively young, but they’ve been turning heads around the NBA this season with their surprisingly high level of play in the early going.
So far, Aron Baynes has made a majority of the starts at the center position. He’s been unbelievable, averaging 14.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. His career to this point, however, suggests Phoenix shouldn’t expect this level of production out of Baynes for the rest of the year.
Baynes has only needed to start because of Deandre Ayton‘s 25-game suspension. The young star is about halfway through his ban. The starting job will be his as soon as he returns and proves to be in good shape.
Beyond those two, Phoenix has little in the way of big men. Dario Saric is starting at power forward, but is more suited to slide down to small forward than up to center. Frank Kaminsky has been better than expected off the bench, but he’s also better suited for power forward minutes.
Phoenix is also a young team (or at least is led by young stars). Devin Booker just turned 23 years old. Ayton won’t turn 22 before the end of the season. Kelly Oubre Jr. — amid his own surprising campaign — will turn 24 next month. Even general manager James Jones is 39 years old, still fresh out of the league as a player.
A big deal is always made of having a veteran presence on a roster to mentor the younger players through adversity. Baynes can certainly serve in that role, but there are never too many veterans on a roster and no harm in bringing Noah on board.