Could Re-Signing Joakim Noah Lead to Something More?
There’s a good chance that last season was Joakim Noah‘s last season as a member of the Chicago Bulls. But, if the Bulls front office and Noah are able to work out a cheaper deal, could it lead to a free agent acquisition that would give the Bulls a big boost?
After this past season filled with locker room chaos, more injuries and dysfunction, the Chicago Bulls could use another shakeup for the second consecutive summer.
One of the front office’s many topics on the to-do list: figuring out what to do with Joakim Noah.
After the 2013-14 season concluded, Noah was named to the All-NBA First Team, the league’s defensive player of the year and finished fourth in the NBA MVP voting.
Then, a knee procedure — that was much more concerning than initially reported/announced — set Noah’s career into a downward trend and the two-time All-Star hasn’t been the same player since. Two shoulder injuries and a shoulder surgery later, Noah is looking like one of the odd men out in Chicago next season.
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But, despite the downward spiral that Noah’s career has taken, he’s still beloved by many on and off the court in Chicago. His charity work is endless and his impact as a strong voice in the locker room has been there in the good and bad times.
Sure, it appears things aren’t exactly peaches and cream with Noah and others within in the organization (specifically, the rumors on Noah and Jimmy Butler clashing during this past season), but Noah still has value to the franchise.
The Bulls were a disaster on the defensive end without Noah protecting the lane and cleaning the window on a nightly basis.
The NBA’s salary cap is set to explode over the next couple years and at this point in his career (Noah turns 32 next year), Noah could look for one more big contract before his playing days end.
However, if he and the Bulls could work on a deal that centered around him starting again and a “hometown discount” if you will, it could help the Bulls more ways than one.
How so? Free agency.
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Yes, the Bulls are more inactive in getting relevant names during free agency than MySpace users these days, but since the Bulls made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011, their glaring need for a wing athlete (or two) hasn’t changed.
One of those athletes who could help the Bulls immensely this summer? Current Charlotte Hornets wing and Noah’s fellow countryman, Nicolas Batum.
Noah and Batum shared a heartwarming moment before a game against each other after last November’s attacks in France. Batum is a native of France, while Noah spent some time there before moving to New York as a youth.
They’re both familiar with each other and a connection like that could help the Bulls in the future. It may seem little, but in today’s day and age in the NBA, it’s not something to gawk at.
Acquiring Batum would be difficult for the Bulls, with or without Noah. Batum is a prototypical three-and-D guy that all 30 teams in the league could use efficiently. He’d fill numerous roles for the Bulls, including taking pressure defensively off of Jimmy Butler every night and would give Derrick Rose a kick-out option on the other end.
The Bulls will have cap space just like everyone else in the NBA this summer, which once again, makes things difficult. Teams like Los Angeles (Lakers) and New York could throw more money at Batum, while offering a huge playing market, too.
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But, with Noah healthy and possibly on board with a team-friendly deal, a starting five of Rose, Butler, Batum, Noah and Nikola Mirotic could open the floodgates for Fred Hoiberg and his offense in year two.