NBA Rumor: Joakim Noah Buyout?
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Adrian Wojnarowski: Update: Sources with @IanBegley: Knicks will waive Joakim Noah today.
The Knicks will have to officially execute exiled Joakim Noah’s waiver/stretch provision by Monday (the date to set the 15-man roster) to end the stalemate. Sources indicate Noah isn’t willing to give up much money — if any. That may be because he doesn’t have a definite landing spot. The Timberwolves, a possible location for him, could be on hold because of the Jimmy Butler fiasco.
Joakim Noah remains on the Knicks roster, but not for long. Unless a trade opportunity suddenly emerges for the center, the Knicks will waive Noah before the regular-season roster needs to be set on Oct. 15, sources told the Daily News. The Knicks have been shopping Noah but are declining to attach valuable assets to shed the two years and $38 million remaining on his contract. By waiting until the roster deadline, the Knicks are hoping against odds that an injury or something else creates a stronger trade market.
Ian Begley: Joakim Noah’s waiver/buyout will leave NYK with an open roster spot to potentially keep Noah Vonleh (partial guarantee) or convert Allonzo Trier’s 2-way contract to a standard deal. Fizdale: “I don’t know how that’s going to play out. I just know the best 15 will be on the team.”
Yahoo! Sports NBA: Joakim deleted this real quick 😳
Knicks center Joakim Noah won’t be at Media Day on Monday as the Knicks center is still on the verge of being waived through the stretch provision, according to sources. According to sources, the buyout should finally become official either Monday or Tuesday, and the Knicks’ exact cap savings will depend on how much Noah is leaving on the table.
Noah had been so excited to finish his career in New York, his hometown. “It’s heartbreaking,” said one source close to Noah. “It’s like a divorce figuring out who gets what.”
By removing Noah from the roster, the Knicks can officially sign former Columbia forward Jeff Coby to the 20-man training-camp roster.
Shams Charania: Sources on @TheAthleticNBA @WatchStadium: Joakim Noah and the New York Knicks are near agreement on his waive and stretch. Noah will not report to training camp this week as sides part ways before media day.
There has been no effort to bring Noah to training camp, which starts Monday. Mills said 17 players worked out Wednesday — a strong number that “excites” him. But Noah wasn’t there and last posted a picture of himself on a California beach with John McEnroe and Josh Brolin. “Nothing has changed other than we’re in constant communication with his representation,” Perry said Thursday at a pre-training camp press conference at the Garden Theatre. “Training camp is a few days off. The hope is we can come to a resolution that is both advantageous to Joakim and the Knicks. That’s where it is.”
It sounded as if the Knicks are asking Noah to give back some money to compensate for the salaries he could earn elsewhere from the next two seasons of his contract. Perry was asked why the team won’t attempt to see what Noah has left when training camp opens. “Training camp hasn’t started for us. It is what it is,” said Perry, who was not part of the Knicks’ front office when they signed Noah to a four-year, $72 million deal at the start of free agency in 2016. “We’re comfortable dealing with his representation and we’ll let you know once that [ends].”
Ian Begley: Knicks GM Scott Perry says he hopes to come to a resolution that works for both Joakim Noah and the Knicks prior to training camp. Says he’s in touch regularly with Noah’s representatives.
Knicks to part ways with Joakim Noah
The New York Knicks remain unlikely to reincorporate exiled center Joakim Noah into the team under new coach David Fizdale and still plan to part ways with him before training camp, league sources told ESPN. Assuming general manager Scott Perry continues to be unable to find a trade that includes Noah, the Knicks will use the NBA’s waive-and-stretch provision to release Noah sometime after September 1, league sources said.
After the hiring of Fizdale in June, Knicks management didn’t rule out the possibility of Noah re-joining the organization for the 2018-19 season, but that scenario has gained no traction, league sources said.
Talks continued through the summer, but New York hasn’t come close to finding a deal to unload Noah, league sources said. Using the stretch provision after August 31 reduces Noah’s cap hit to $6.4 million, saving the team $12.9 million toward the salary cap. Stretching his contract after September 1 costs the Knicks $6.4 million in cap space in the summers of 2020 and 2021.
Mike Vorkunov: Scott Perry said Joakim Noah remains a member of the Knicks. Is he a member in good standing? “He’s a member of the Knicks franchise right now, so he’s part of this team,” Perry said. “And as I said earlier before all options are on the table for us concerning him.”
Nick Friedell: Asked Steve Mills and Scott Perry about where the Knicks stand with Joakim Noah. Long pause from both men. The answer was that he’s still on the team. They said that new coach David Fizdale has spoken with Noah recently. They have not. Doesn’t sound like much has changed.
Joakim Noah’s tenure with the Knicks so far has been a disaster … but he tells TMZ Sports he hopes the team doesn’t cut him, saying, “I love New York!” The NBA star inked a 4-year, $72 MILLION deal back in 2016 … and has had about as many fights with Knicks coaches as big plays made since.
The Wolves will also monitor the situations for Joakim Noah and Luol Deng down the road. Both former Bulls are candidates to be bought out of their big deals and the Wolves would certainly consider bringing one of them in on a minimum deal down the road.
Their plan is to not sign anyone to long-term deals and to shed contracts that have more than one year remaining. That means Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah might not be Knicks much longer.
Sources indicate the likeliest scenario still is Noah becoming a stretch-provision waiver at the Sept. 1 landmark date — as first reported by The Post. Waiting until Sept. 1 would enable the Knicks to maximize their salary-cap savings while not having Noah’s $72 million deal strangle their cap for too many years. Of course, things can change. There’s hope among Knicks brass the team can find a trading partner for Noah, who played seven games this past season.
“He reached out to me and just congratulated me,’’ Fizdale said at Tuesday’s press conference. “I’m not putting a ceiling on anybody. Whoever is on our team in front of me is going to get my full attention to investment. He’s obviously given me fits from back in the days. I’ve got some Noah nightmares from when he was in Chicago, some of those wars. I’m not putting a cap on anybody.”
Adam Zagoria: Scott Perry not closing the door on a Joakim Noah return: “We won’t take any of those options off the table. “ Said he didn’t call Jo to notify him about coaching change.
Tommy Beer: One consequence of the Jeff Hornacek firing is that it significantly increases the chances that Joakim Noah joins the team at training camp to start next season. Incredibly, Noah still has two years and $37.8 million in guaranteed money left on his contract.
Hornacek was asked about Joakim Noah’s status with the Knicks and how the matter will resolve itself: “I’m not sure,” he said. “In the summer, Scott [Perry, the general manager] and Steve [Mills, the team president] will be talking with him. I guess that’s how it will get resolved.” Noah has been away from the Knicks since getting into a heated exchange with Hornacek in January and won’t be back this season. If the Knicks can’t trade him, they’ll likely stretch his contract and waive him on Sept. 1 to minimize how much they have to pay him in 2019, when they hope to be spenders in free agency.
The stalemate with Knicks center Joakim Noah will continue and could last as long as Sept. 1. According to multiple sources, a buyout with Noah is not expected to occur by Thursday night’s deadline for waived players to be eligible for a playoff team.
Noah is unwilling to give up enough of his $72 million contract in a buyout to make it worthwhile for the Knicks to let him free. The Knicks feel there will be better options with Noah down the road — trading him this summer to get his money off the books entirely or, more likely, waiving him via the stretch provision when the magical date of Sept. 1 occurs. On Sept. 1, the calculation changes for the better and would save the Knicks at least $12 million more in cap space in the summer of 2019, when brass is targeting a free-agent splash.
Here’s how the mathematics work. On Sept. 1, Noah will be deemed to have one remaining year on his pact after the current season. Hence, on that date, if waived under the stretch provision, the $19.2 million left would be stretched over three years — counting against the cap in the summers of 2019, 2020 and 2021. That amounts to about $6.5 million each year. As for the Knicks’ 2019 cap savings, instead of having $19.2 million count on the cap, the number would be $6.5 million. In exchange, the Knicks would have Noah count against the cap for an additional two summers.
Joakim Noah has until midnight Thursday or else he’s stuck with the Knicks. That’s the deadline for the exiled center to reach a buyout if he wants to sign elsewhere and be eligible for the playoffs. However, as late as Wednesday afternoon, there had been no progress in negotiations. The Knicks still didn’t want to release Noah without significant money coming back in a buyout, and Noah was unwilling to surrender enough of his guaranteed contract. Beyond the remaining money owed for this season, Noah still has two years and almost $38 million remaining on his deal. It’s unclear how much the Knicks are asking to retrieve in a buyout.
According to sources, there are teams interested in signing Noah for the playoffs — including the Timberwolves — but only as a free agent on a minimum deal. That would require the Knicks to waive Noah before midnight Thursday. New York tried to trade Noah but his contract was deemed prohibitive without assets attached.
March 1 is the deadline for Noah to be waived in order for him to be eligible for the playoffs. Noah has two years left on his $72 million contract after this season, and the Knicks would only waive him if he agrees to a buyout and left money on the table. A fair estimate for Noah to forgo would be $5 million. That would be a little more than his take the next two seasons if he signed with another club for the veteran’s minimum, which is $2.3 million.
Noah has played in seven games this season and the Knicks don’t want him back as long as Jeff Hornacek is head coach. According to sources, the Players Association will intensify its interest if Thursday’s deadline passes and Noah still is on the Knicks. If Noah wants back, it could get ugly. Sources who have spoken to the Knicks brass say Noah’s camp has been oddly quiet.
Sources have indicated the feud is untenable and the Knicks were within their rights to levy a suspension for insubordination after Noah cursed out his head coach. The team chose not to.
Golden State has monitored Noah’s situation. One league personnel director said Noah makes sense for the Warriors, who have a habit of “collecting role-playing big men who defend and rebound.’’ Al Horford, his former Florida mate, said he’d love to have Noah on the Celtics and thinks he’ll be a good addition to a playoff team.
Joakim Noah may never suit up again for the Knicks, but the exiled center will have plenty of desirable options should he negotiate a buyout with the club. According to league sources, several playoff-bound teams are closely monitoring Noah’s situation in New York and would push to sign him if Noah becomes a free agent.
The Warriors, Timberwolves and Thunder are three such teams that believe Noah, who turns 33 on Sunday, could bolster their respective rosters for the postseason. Minnesota is an obvious one since it would reunite Noah with his former coach with the Chicago Bulls, Tom Thibodeau. Golden State and Oklahoma City also feel that Noah’s experience and defensive prowess would solidify their respective benches.
The Knicks can also create cap space over the next two summers by stretching Joakim Noah’s contract. Doing so would reduce his cap hit to $7,565,000 over the next five years, beginning in 2018-19 and ending in 2022-23. But that would eat into money that the Knicks could spend on other free agents in the summer of 2020 and beyond. It’s not something the Knicks have seriously considered at this point, per sources.
As of late last week, Noah remained opposed to any buyout, per sources. One date to watch here is March 1, the last date by which Noah can sign with another team and still be eligible for the postseason. The Knicks, to this point, have shown no interest in simply waiving Joakim Noah, so it seems that it will be a test of wills as March approaches. If Noah is bought out or waived, opposing executives expect the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves to be among the teams interested in signing him.
Jeff Hornacek wouldn’t comment on reports that he pushed Joakim Noah during their heated exchange last month in Denver. But Hornacek gave the strongest indications yet that Noah won’t be back with the Knicks. “I think that is the plan,” Hornacek said following practice Tuesday night.
“That’s something that happened three weeks ago, four weeks ago,” Hornacek said. “We handled that thing with Jo. It’s not finalized because he’s still on the roster. We’ve dealt with that situation. There’s really nothing more to say about it, update it. We’ve moved on. He’s ready to move on and maybe have an opportunity somewhere else.”
The Knicks haven’t suspended Noah, so he’s still getting paid. “Things happen in practice, happen in meetings, happen in all kind of stuff,” Hornacek said. “We’ve dealt with that and that’s the end of it from us.”
Mike Vorkunov: Jeff Hornacek gave the clearest indication yet that Joakim Noah’s time with the Knicks is nearing an end. “We’ve moved on,” he said. “I think he’s ready to move on and maybe have an opportunity somewhere else.”
After Kornet’s stirring debut, it seems even less likely the Knicks will want exiled Joakim Noah back after brass failed to trade his long-term contract. The Knicks attempted to add Noah to an Elfrid Payton package. Knicks general manager Scott Perry said Noah still is not welcome, and a buyout would seem inevitable. “There’s no new update — same place,” Perry said. “We weren’t able to get a trade done. He’s not coming back right now. He’ll be away until further notice.”
Ian Begley: Assuming the Knicks don’t find a trade for Joakim Noah, opposing executives expect OKC and Minnesota to be among the teams interested in Noah if he’s waived or bought out by the Knicks, per sources. As of earlier this week, Noah remained opposed to a buyout, sources say.
Ian Begley: My guess is that the next time we get an official update on this, it will be from the Knicks announcing that they have agreed to part ways with Joakim in some fashion (buyout, waive, stretch, ect.)
Al Iannazzone: In a mutual decision, Joakim Noah will not be back with the team until further notice, a Knicks official said.
As of Monday, there had been no conversations between the Knicks and Noah about a potential buyout on the remaining three years and $56 million on his contract, per ESPN sources. Sources said Monday that Noah has no inclination to give back significant money on his contract in any buyout with New York and that he was waiting for the Knicks to deliver word whether or not he was welcome back.
Ian Begley: Sources tell @Adrian Wojnarowski and me: Status quo on Joakim Noah’s situation w/Knicks. Noah is away from the team working out and awaiting the Knicks to deliver him direction on the next steps. There have been no conversations about a buyout on the 3 yrs, $56 million left on his deal.
Marc Stein: League sources tell @NYTSports that talks between the Knicks and Noah are scheduled for later this week to discuss his return to the team.
Ian Begley: Sources tell @Adrian Wojnarowski and me: Joakim Noah left the team late last week after a lengthy disconnect with Jeff Horancek and the coaching staff. Noah has no inclination to give back significant money on his contact in any buyout.
All were virtually unanimous in the assessment that a deal for Joakim Noah is unlikely. “Offer him a buyout. You’ve got to pay him, so see if you can pay him less,” one exec said. “There’s not a team in the league that’s going to take on that contract [more than two years left on a four-year, $72M deal] with his health issues and where he is in his career. To take on his contract, you’d have to give the No. 1 pick every other year for three years.”
April 23, 2024 | 11:14 pm EDT Update
Jaden McDaniels has a career night and leads Wolves past the Suns
Gerald Bourguet: Final: MIN 105, PHX 93 Booker: 20 Pts, 5 Ast, 6-13 FG Durant: 18 Pts, 6 Reb, 6-15 FG Beal: 14 Pts, 6 Ast, 6-17 FG McDaniels: 25 Pts, 8 Reb, 10-17 FG Wolves outscored Suns 31-2 in points off TOs and go up 2-0 in the series
Gerald Bourguet: Devin Booker on his message to Suns fans: “Don’t count us out. It’s a series for a reason.” Kevin Durant: “Shit, can’t give up on us now.”
Pascal Siakam helps the Pacers tie series up at 1-1 against Bucks
StatMuse: Siakam tonight: 37 PTS 10 REB 6 AST (0 TOV) 16-23 FG Leading the playoffs in scoring. statmuse.com/nba/player/pas…
Eric Nehm: FINAL: Pacers 125, Bucks 108 – Lillard 34pts/4reb/5ast – Lopez 22pts/3ast/2blk – Middleton 15pts/5reb/6ast – Portis 14pts/11reb Bucks 1, Pacers 1. Game 3 at 5:30 p.m. ET in Indianapolis on Friday.
Law Murray: These are the two most isolation heavy teams in the NBA. Asked Jason Kidd pregame about identifying areas of LA’s defense to attack JKidd: “We got to take care of the ball, but we have to play with pace if we’re going to win tonight.” pic.twitter.com/L0WFC5c4tF
Brad Townsend: Gafford is headed to the locker room, holding his lower back.
ClutchPoints: Grayson Allen had to be helped to the locker room after stepping on Mike Conley’s foot. Hope he’s alright 🙏 pic.twitter.com/UH5P5C3YRa
Duane Rankin: Grayson Allen (ankle) OUT remainder of game. #Suns #NBAPlayoffs
Gerald Bourguet: Frank Vogel on Grayson Allen’s ankle: “X-rays negative again. Re-aggravated the same ankle, and he’ll be day-to-day.”
