NBA Trade Rumors: Could the New York Knicks Find a Taker for Joakim Noah?
Coach Jeff Hornacek 'shocked' by how well Noah has played during practice thus far
For much of his career, center Joakim Noah has made a name for himself by being an exceptional defender, a better than expected playmaker and a fierce competitor. Unfortunately, for Noah and for the New York Knicks, the more recent seasons in his career have not been as good as his early ones, and the belief is that the team is essentially stuck with him.
It is hard enough to still find teams who need another big man, and when taking into account the years and dollars remaining on Noah's contract – three years and more than $55 million, as seen in HoopsHype – the notion that the center is untradeable becomes easier to grasp.
The Noah signing is not working out for the Knicks thus far, and it has a chance to be a truly bad one in the years ahead. However, there may still be hope that the team can offload the big man.
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In a recent article, the New York Post's Howie Kussoy passed along some interesting comments shared by head coach Jeff Hornacek following a practice session.
According to Hornacek, he is "shocked" by how well Noah has performed thus far especially since he was dealing with injuries not too long ago. Hornacek rattled off some of the things Noah has been doing well, including screen setting, rolling to the basket and finishing at the rim.
Noah apparently getting some of his swagger back is a positive development not just because that means he can contribute to the Knicks this season, but also because that may make it easier for the team to trade him.
The demand for centers who are not capable of hitting three-pointers is not exactly high at the moment, but Noah can be a factor on offense, thanks to his playmaking chops.
To put it simply, if Noah really is flashing some of his old form again, he can then be a positive contributor on both ends of the floor. That is the type of player any team can use.
With the Knicks in rebuild mode, the team may be able to acquire more assets for a suddenly effective Noah, especially if they are willing to take back a big contract in a trade.
For much of last season and throughout nearly the entirety of this offseason, it has seemed like the Knicks and Noah are stuck with each other, but now, there may be a chance for that to change.
More news about the latest NBA trade rumors should be made available soon.
