NBA Draft Rumors: Timberwolves Targeting Joakim Noah and Reuniting Him with Tom Thibodeau
Swirling rumors are putting Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah in the spotlight as he becomes an unrestricted free agent as NBA enters offseason this July. Noah is a pretty hot commodity which puts him on various teams' talent radar including that of Minnesota Timberwolves.
As per Sporting News, current Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau is trying to pry Noah away from the Bulls amid reports claiming Noah will re-sign with Chicago following a long nine-year career, part of which he spent under Thibodeau's coaching stint with the team.
Noah seems to have maintained a pretty good relationship with his former coach that rumors point to a possibility that the Bulls center will jump board to join Thibodeau's rebuilding effort by getting key NBA veterans to help shape Timberwolves' young roster up to become playoff contenders in the 2016-17 season, ESPN reported. To do that, Minnesota would have brought in hardened players via trade deals, free agency offers, and even dealing their overall No. 5 NBA draft pick in exchange for seasoned players from other teams.
There are also reports suggesting that Noah has a falling out with the Bulls management following his disillusionment with Chicago's front office's ability to turn the once mighty franchise in the 90's as premier contender in the playoffs, Larry Brown Sports revealed.
The 31-year-old former Defensive Player of the Year has participated in Chicago's 29 games in the 2015-16 season due to a series of injuries which put his season average record to just 4.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Apart from being a head coach, Thibodeau is also the team's exec which gives allows him to call the shots when it comes to roster hiring. With $30 million in cap space, it remains to be seen whether Noah will jump on board and heed Thib's calling.
