New York Knicks center Joakim Noah's days in New York are numbered. The 10 year veteran center is having a disappointing season since signing as a free agent with the New York Knicks. Joakim Noah's only averaging 4.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game. Numbers that are not expected from him when the New York Knicks signed him in the offseason. If rumors are true, there's reason to believe that Joakim Noah could be headed elsewhere.
One possible destination is the Minnesota Timberwolves. A team that's being handled by someone that Joah Noah knows all too well. Tom Thibodeau, Joakim Noah's former coach with the Chicago Bulls.
Tom Thibodeau, or "Thibs" as most people call him, is currently the head coach and the President of Basketball Operations of the Minnesota Timberwolves. So basically, Tom Thibodeau gets to choose which players to trade and which players to get.
With the Minnesota Timberwolves struggling this season, Tom Thibodeau has stated before that he's willing to trade away one of his young stars in exchange for a dependable veteran player. Tom Thibodeau has also said that he wants players that are accustomed to his coaching style.
The names of Tom Thibodeau's former players with the Chicago Bulls have already surfaced in trade rumors. Players like Los Angeles Lakers small forward Luol Deng and the Chicago Bulls All Star shooting guard/small forward Jimmy Butler. Now Joakim Noah is the latest name that's rumored to be headed to Minnesota.
If the New York Knicks does decide to push through with the trade, they have several Minnesota Timberwolves players to choose from. According to reports, the Minnesota Timberwolves players are point guard Ricky Rubio, forward Gorgui Dieng, forward Nemanja Bjelica, Forward Shabazz Muhammad and forward Adreian Payne.
Adjusting to Tom Thibodeau's offensive and defensive sets should be no problem to Joakim Noah. Having played under Tom Thibodeau with the Chicago Bulls, Joakim Noah knows the system very well and can easily blend in with his teammates.
Joakim Noah spent his best seasons with the Chicago Bulls. Together with Derrick Rose and Tom Thibodeau as their head coach, they led the Chicago Bulls to a 62 win season in 2011 and to the Eastern Conference Finals where they eventually lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
