Joakim Noah (Photo : Getty Images)
The NBA free agency rumors continue as the frenzy starts in less than a month. There will probably be some familiar faces reuniting in new places.
Joakim Noah was known as a tenacious defender but necessity (read: Derrick Rose's injuries) forced him to grow as a player with the Chicago Bulls under the tutelage of Coach Tom Thibodeau.
He reached his peak in the 2013-14 season but he regressed badly and succumbed to injuries under new coach Fred Hoiberg this season.
That may have a huge effect on his free agency but if there's someone who knows exactly what Noah is still capable of, it's Thibodeau. Mitch Lawrence of Sporting News reported that there's genuine interest for the Frenchman in Thibs new team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"League sources tell Sporting News that Thibodeau has targeted Joakim Noah, who is an unrestricted free agent and has interest in leaving Chicago and re-joining Thibodeau. When they were together in Chicago, Noah developed and thrived under Thibodeau, finishing fourth in the MVP voting in 2013-14."
Thibodeau could assign Noah to be the team's defensive anchor and mentor for their young big men, specifically Rookie of the Year Karl Anthony Towns. However, that role has been assigned to Kevin Garnett, a sentimental T-Wolves favorite.
Lawrence noted that "at this stage, Noah is a better fit than Garnett" because Thibs wants the leaders on the floor. Noah can still play extended minutes but Garnett may be past his prime.
This is very logical for Thibodeau and speculation has been rampant on possible reunions with his old Bulls players. There was also the report from Jae Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times that Noah wanted out of Chicago.
Cowley quoted an anonymous teammate and claimed that "Noah has been telling teammates in recent weeks that he was done with the organization once free agency begins and 'has no trust in the front office getting this in the right direction.'"
Noah's agent, Bill Duffy, promptly refuted the claim but most pundits saw this as an agent's way to keep his client's options open. For most fans of Noah and of the Bulls team, it would be better if they went separate ways.
The Bulls new coach would rather have players who fit his fast-paced, offense-centric system. Noah is simply not a good fit and reuniting with Thibodeau sounds like a better idea.
