In all aspects of the game, Joakim Noah is having the worst season of his career, making it time for him to finally move on after spending his entire career with the Chicago Bulls. When Fred Hoiberg first announced Noah would not start, it was unclear what his new role would be. But now that it has been diminished so much, Chicago should seek out a trade.
For the previous five seasons, Noah had started each of the 323 games he had played in and always been a key to the success of the Bulls. Unless he wants to be in Chicago so badly that he is willing to give up playing time, the team needs to let him go so he can use his talent to help another team.
With his huge contract of $13.4 million, the Bulls could also save a lot of money by making a trade. They could also acquire a more productive player by freeing up some cap space. This may be hard because it would likely require multiple deals or teams, but it would be more valuable to the Bulls as they look to keep one of the top seeds in the NBA playoffs.
Is it time for @chicagobulls to trade @JoakimNoah? @TheStarters discuss WATCH: https://t.co/trCrEID4kA pic.twitter.com/VlMK8tohXd
— NBA.com (@NBAcom) January 12, 2016
Noah won defensive player of the year in 2014, and he’s still one of the league’s best defenders when it comes to playing in the post. Chicago could easily go out and find one of the teams in the league struggling most with interior defense and raise the price knowing how much value the former Florida Gator could bring to the table.
After spending eight very successful seasons with the Bulls, both sides could really benefit from a trade. The Bulls could trade for a more productive part of their future, and Noah could prove his worth with another team. It is only a matter of time before this relationship comes to an abrupt end.
