It could be high-time the New York Knicks begin to contemplate trading Joakim Noah for another big man who can help the team win more games.
The Knicks, despite already entering the playoff picture early in the season, are still far from the team they expect them to be. Some of the team's summer additions have already shown promising displays, except for Joakim Noah, who continues to find his niche in New York.
Noah, who signed with the Knicks this past summer on a four-year $72 million contract, was brought in to help shore up the team's defense and help in crashing the boards. But so far, Noah is struggling to put up solid numbers on that area, only averaging 7.9 rebounds a game, to go along with a career-worst defensive rating of 109.6.
It is also worth noting that the Knicks are fifth in the league in rebounding this season, with 46.3 rebounds per game, but they are currently tied with the Boston Celtics with a league-worst 26.5 percent in Opponent's Offensive Rebound Rate.
Simply put, Noah has yet to make an impact playing for the Knicks. And while it is too early to assess what he can do for the Knicks this season, trading him could be a viable option. Austin Ryback of the Sports Quotient suggested a trade scenario that would send Joakim Noah to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Greg Monroe.
Many see Monroe as a trade chip for the Bucks after the 26-year-old center struggled to fit in the team's system last season. This year he has become an even more likely tradable asset, with the Bucks playing Monroe in limited minutes off the bench.
Monroe is averaging career-lows in scoring outputs and minutes played this season, only seeing 18.4 minutes of action, while producing 8.8 points per game as a second stringer in Jason Kidd's rotation. But Monroe is a capable offensive threat inside the paint, and he could do wonders for the Knicks if they play Phil Jackson's infamous triangle offense.
Noah, on the other hand, would provide the Bucks a veteran presence that could help in honing young rising stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker. As Ryback puts it, Noah is simply performing on a low-level, yet can still be a better option than the Bucks' rotation of centers.
It remains to be seen whether the Bucks and Knicks would approve of such deal, especially with Monroe set to explore free agency next summer and Noah on a large-scale contract. But the Bucks were interested in acquiring Noah this past summer, as well as the Knicks were to Monroe in 2015, making the suggested trade deal an intriguing one to watch as teams approach the trade deadline.
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