Noah's reported season-ending surgery gives Knicks a needed glimpse of the future
That $72 million contract isn't looking great right now, but it's not all bad in New York
Phil Jackson and the Knicks took a couple of big swings by bringing in Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah this offseason to play alongside Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis.
It’s now safe to say that they swung and missed.
Noah, who has struggled with injuries all year, is likely to have season-ending surgery on his knee, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Knicks' center Joakim Noah is likely to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and miss rest of season, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 27, 2017
The Knicks signing Noah to a four-year, $72 million contract before the season was curious, to say the least -- but now the deal looks like a total disaster. Noah has averaged five points and 8.7 rebounds in 46 games this season, and injuries have limited him to just 22 minutes per game.
New York’s attempt to put together a roster capable of making a playoff run fell drastically short, and now the team is stuck with the contract unless they find an unlikely trade partner in the offseason. Trading for Rose was a gamble, but at least it was somewhat justifiable. Signing Noah, however, just made no sense. Paying all that money to an injury-plagued player who plays the same position the future of your franchise should be playing? It’s a true head-scratcher.
Despite reports that they were interested in Wolves point guard Ricky Rubio, the Knicks did nothing at the trade deadline to add assets for the future. Instead they waived backup point guard Brandon Jennings and now there’s reportedly “chatter” that they might release Rose.
Lot of chatter around NBA that the Knicks might also release Derrick Rose. Would Phil really do that? Clearly, he's not afraid to be fired.
— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) February 27, 2017
It sounds like the Knicks are in full tank mode, which is actually a good thing for the team. They can now get an extended look at promising rookie big man Willy Hernangomez, while giving Porzingis even more minutes at the five to see how that looks. Jennings’ departure opens the door for more playing time for rookie Ron Baker.
Anthony has said that he isn’t interested in being a part of a rebuilding effort, but that’s exactly where the Knicks are right now. So while it’s too late to trade him this season, you can expect him to be shopped quite a bit once the summer rolls around.
















