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Noah: 'It made too much sense' to join Knicks with Rose

BRYAN R. SMITH / AFP / Getty

Joakim Noah's free agency was a cakewalk.

The 6-foot-11 center knew exactly where he wanted to go after his longtime Chicago Bulls teammate Derrick Rose was shipped off to the New York Knicks.

"When the Derrick trade went down, it was for a center, for Robin (Lopez)," Noah told K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

"So I knew that there was going to be a (Knicks) need for a center. I remember my agent telling me this team was going to be an option and this team was going to be an option. And I couldn't even think about anything but playing for New York. My mind was already set on where I wanted to play. It made too much sense - hometown, Derrick, Phil (Jackson), just everything. For me, it's like a dream come true."

Of course, Noah got his wish, signing a four-year, $72-million deal with New York.

Related: Noah says signing with Knicks 'means everything' to him

The big man, whose shoulder has fully healed from surgery, says he feels good.

He suited up in only 29 games last season for the Bulls, averaging a career-worst 4.3 points on 38.3 percent shooting to go along with 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

The Knicks hope a healthy Noah can help them return to the playoffs in 2016-17 following a three-year hiatus.

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