According to reports, unrestricted free agent center Joakim Noah has agreed to a contract with the New York Knicks, which will pay him $72 million over four years. The contract cannot officially be signed until the end of the NBA’s moratorium period on July 7th.
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN broke the news on Friday Night:
Knicks and Joakim Noah have officially agreed on a 4 year $72 million deal after meeting in Orlando tonight https://t.co/zqauJFWmOC
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 2, 2016
Report: Joakim Noah Agrees to Contract with New York Knicks
Noah’s contract will take him through the end of the 2020 season.
Noah averaged 4.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game last season for the Chicago Bulls. His nightly points and rebounds averages have both declined in each of the last two seasons. Noah struggled with injuries throughout the 2015-16 season, playing in just 29 games – the lowest number for him since the 2010-11 campaign. He missed most of the season watching from the sidelines, as Chicago didn’t make the playoffs for the first time since 2008, under new head coach Fred Hoiberg.
Looking forward, Noah will provide heart and hustle, as well as being a playmaker and elite rebounder starting at center for New York. Noah is known for his verbal leadership on the court, so he’ll look to become one of the main leaders for his new team. The Knicks will need Noah to stay healthy and regain something close to his 2013-14 form, when he finished fourth in MVP voting, in order for New York to compete for a playoff spot in the 2016-17 season.
Noah is going into his 10th season in the league, during which he’ll be 31 years old. He’ll turn 32 in February. Until this point, Noah has played his entire career in Chicago, after being drafted ninth overall by the Bulls in 2007.
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