Report: Warriors, T-Wolves, Thunder interested in Noah
One team's trash is another team's backup center.
The New York Knicks are done with Joakim Noah after his run-in with head coach Jeff Hornacek, but three Western Conference contenders are keeping a close eye on the situation in the event that Noah is bought out.
In that case, the Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves would be interested in him, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
The Warriors could use another spare center as JaVale McGee and Zaza Pachulia have underperformed this season. David West has been a revelation in a bench role, but his minutes can't be extended much further given his advanced age. Noah's clever passing out of the high post would also suit the Warriors nicely.
OKC just needs depth, and they have a connection to Noah through head coach Billy Donovan dating back to their time in Florida. The Thunder have made it work by shuffling through Jerami Grant and Josh Huestis, but a veteran like Noah could be more dependable.
Similarly, the Timberwolves are also connected to Noah through head coach Tom Thibodeau, who has final say in basketball decisions. Minnesota has a capable bench big in Gorgui Dieng behind Karl-Anthony Towns, but Noah could bring more toughness to the locker room.
That said, the Knicks have yet to make a final decision on Noah's future. A buyout seems inevitable, but eating the remaining $54 million on his contract is extremely unsavory.
Noah found himself buried in the depth chart as the Knicks had a surplus of centers. He has played a total of 40 minutes this season.