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It’s Time for the Chicago Bulls and Joakim Noah to Move on from Each Other
- Updated: May 26, 2016
Goodbyes are hard, but sometimes they’re necessary. That’s where the Chicago Bulls and Joakim Noah find themselves this summer.
For the past nine years, Noah has been a Chicago institution, both on the court and in the community. He’s the team’s emotional leader and, when healthy, a game-changing defensive presence in the frontcourt with the passing instincts of a point guard.
Seeing him in a different uniform will be jarring for Bulls fans, but after years of injuries and frayed good will with the team, letting him walk is the right move.
Conflicting reports came out on Wednesday about Noah’s mindset as he prepares to hit the open market for the first time in his career.
The Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley reported that Noah has told teammates he’s done with the organization. Shortly afterward, Noah’s agent, Bill Duffy, told the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson that he hasn’t ruled out a return. Then, ESPN.com’s Nick Friedell reported that Noah has had “positive dialogue” with the front office about a new deal.
Until July 1, it’s all noise, but there are significant hurdles for both sides to clear if Noah is going to stay in Chicago.
There are wounds still to heal from a season that started with a botched public relations handling of Noah’s move to a bench role and ended with Noah undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in January.
Not even a week into the regular season, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg told Grantland’s Zach Lowe that the move to the bench was Noah’s idea—not his. Noah shot down that notion the next day. For the rest of the season, although Noah never publicly complained about his reduced role, it was obvious to everyone around him that he wasn’t happy about it.
When Noah’s shoulder surgery forced him to spend large chunks of the year in New York rehabbing, the Bulls’ season slowly went off the rails, thanks in no small part to the absence of the guy who had been the strongest voice …
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