A very notable former Chicago Bulls star center Joakim Noah had a good NBA team get in contact with him earlier this week.
One of the best players to suit up for the Chicago Bulls could be on his way back into the NBA this season if the Dallas Mavericks wind up signing him out of free agency. Former Bulls superstar defensive stopping big man Joakim Noah still has some value left to provide for a number of NBA teams and he might be getting interest from one of the better teams in the Western Conference.
Noah played in the NBA last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, but wasn’t able to land on any teams in free agency last offseason. He was pretty solid for the Grizzlies down the stretch last season. Noah averaged 7.1 points per game, 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.7 blocks, while shooting 51.6 percent from the field.
The type of numbers Noah posted last season should give hope to any NBA teams pursuing him this year that he can still contribute at a good level off the bench. He’s not in the midst of the years where he can be a quality starting NBA big man, but his days as a quality contributor off the bench should still be here.
Sources: The Mavs have touched base with Joakim Noah as they search for center depth in the wake of Dwight Powell's season-ending injury. Dallas has concerns about Noah's health and is considering several other options, including G League and overseas players.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) January 22, 2020
However, the report surfaced on Jan. 22 that the Mavericks “touched base” with Noah in the wake of the season-ending Achilles injury to center Dwight Powell. Nothing concrete came of that connection between Noah and the Mavericks yet, but this is the first sign of life in his free agency since early in the regular season.
ESPN’s Tim McMahon was the first to report this connection between Noah and the Mavericks on his Twitter timeline Wednesday evening.
Apparently the Mavericks are also considering other options from the G-League and overseas to patch up the void left by Powell’s season-ending injury.
Noah could be a good option for them. He would bring a notable veteran presence to the locker room in Dallas. Noah is a two-time All-Star selection, three-time All-Defensive Team honoree, Defensive Player of the Year award winner, and 2013-14 All-NBA Team selection.
It would be a lot of fun to see what the former Bull Noah can do alongside the young and potent star duo for the Mavericks that is guard Luka Doncic and seven-foot forward Kristaps Porzingis. For the time being, the Mavericks will be splitting the duties at the five between Porzingis and German big man Maxi Kleber.