default-cbs-image

If you had forgotten that Joakim Noah was still on the Knicks' roster, welcome to the club. The veteran forward, is indeed still on the Knicks, though he hasn't played for them since Feb. 4. Near the end of last season, he was hit with a 20-game suspension for violating the league's anti-drug program. 

After beginning to serve the suspension last season, Noah is eligible to return on Monday night, when the Knicks take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. In order for him to do so, however the Knicks, who currently have 15 players, will need to clear a roster spot. One way they're reportedly trying to do that, is by shopping second-year big man Mindaugas Kuzminskas. Via ESPN:

To that end, the club has contacted teams recently to gauge interest in forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas, opposing executives told ESPN. The interest level in Kuzminskas, who hasn't been part of the Knicks' rotation this season, is unclear. It's worth noting that Kuzminskas, 28, was productive when given minutes last season (he averaged 6.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists in 15 minutes per game) and that he had a strong showing for Lithuania in the European Championships.

If New York doesn't find a deal it likes involving Kuzminskas, Ramon Sessions would seem to be a likely candidate to be waived. Sessions, whose contract is fully guaranteed for the veteran's minimum, hasn't played since he was replaced by Jack in the fourth game of the season.

Of course, trading Noah, who has three years remaining on a four-year, $72 million contract, is an option, though a highly unlikely one. New York has made Noah available in conversations with several teams since the end of last season, per league sources, but hasn't found a suitable deal.

This scenario is yet another reason why the Noah deal was a complete mistake. Despite the fact that Noah was clearly on the decline due to injuries and age, the Knicks still gave him a four-year, $72M deal last summer. Now, they might have to give up on a young big man because they have to clear a roster spot for a 32-year-old who can't really help the team anymore, but is due so much money that moving him is basically impossible. 

And look, Kuzminskas isn't amazing. He had some nice moments last season, but if he was a great player, he probably would have played at some point this season. Still, it's just the principal of the thing. Handing out bad contracts to big names who can't help the team aren't bad just because of the contracts themselves. Those deals often have unintended consequences down the line like we're seeing here.