Joakim Noah is no longer a member of the New York Knicks, according to ESPN. After several years of failing to live up to his pricey contract, the team waived the veteran center on October 13. The move will spread out the money the team owes Noah over several years, freeing them up to pursue bigger names in free agency next offseason.
Rather than working around Noah's $19.3 million salary cap hit in the 2019 season, a bit of accounting known as a "stretch provision" will allow the team to pay $6.4 million per year through 2021.
Noah's time with the Knicks has been as tense as it is unremarkable. After signing with the team in July 2016 on a four-year deal worth $72 million, Noah failed to show any of the defensive spark he had while playing for the Chicago Bulls. In a little over two years with the team, Noah never averaged more than 5 points per game.
Noah played a half-season for the Knicks in 2016-17, fighting injuries and undergoing knee surgery. The following year he was hit with a 20-game ban for violating the league's substance policy and only made it onto the court for seven games.
His time with the Knicks unofficially ended in February of this year when he verbally sparred with former coach Jeff Hornacek in practice. The Knicks were unable to find anyone willing to take on Noah's large contract without other incentives, so the team ultimately decided to waive Noah. The move will make Noah an unrestricted free agent next week.
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