Joakim Noah Receives 20-Game Suspension

March 25, 10:02am: The NBA formally announced Noah’s suspension, noting that he tested positive for Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator LGD-4033 (link). Contrary to last night’s report, Noah’s suspension will begin with the first regular season or playoff game for which Noah is “eligible and physically ready to play.” Depending on Noah’s health status, the 32-year-old may wind up serving all 20 games in 2017/18.

March 25, 12:09am: Knicks center Joakim Noah will receive a 20-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. According to Wojnarowski, the league intends to announce the ban on Saturday.

League sources tell Wojnarowski that Noah tested positive for an over-the-counter supplement that is not permitted under the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement. The players’ union investigated the matter and concluded that Noah hadn’t “knowingly or willingly” violated the policy, having fully cooperated with the NBA’s probe, Wojnarowski writes.

The Knicks only have 10 games left in the 2016/17 season, so Noah will serve half of his suspension this season before sitting out 10 more games to start the 2017/18 campaign. The 32-year-old underwent a left knee arthroscopy about a month ago and was expected to miss most – if not all – of the rest of the season anyway. With New York out of playoff contention, the suspension won’t affect the team in the coming weeks. However, it could have an impact on next year’s roster and rotation for the first few weeks of the season.

Noah is finishing up the first year of a massive four-year, $72MM contract that he signed with the Knicks last July. The 20-game suspension will cost him a modest portion of his salary for both this season and next season.

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