Noah’s future in Chicago murky as talks continue

5:47 PM ET

CHICAGO — Joakim Noah’s future in Chicago remains uncertain as the former All-Star center heads toward unrestricted free agency this summer.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported Wednesday that Noah has been telling teammates he is ready to leave the Bulls. According to an unnamed player quoted in the report, Noah “has no trust in the front office getting this in the right direction.”

A league source stressed to ESPN.com on Wednesday that Noah, his representatives and the Bulls’ front office have continued a “positive dialogue” in regard to bringing back the 31-year-old big man. Those close to Noah are still hopeful that the eight-year veteran will be able to work out an agreement to stay in Chicago long term.

Joakim Noah, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, has spent his entire nine-year career with Chicago. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

For his part, Noah has repeatedly discussed how much he loves the city and enjoys playing in Chicago. At an end-of-season news conference in April, Bulls executive vice president John Paxson discussed how fond he is of Noah.

“Anyone who has been around us, anybody who has spoken to either [general manager Gar Forman] or I about Joakim, they know how we feel about him,” Paxson said. “He represents a lot of things that we believe in. To me, he’s one of the most genuine people I’ve ever been around in this …

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