Although March 1 isn’t an official deadline for the Knicks to make a decision on Joakim Noah, the team will have to waive him on or before that day if he wants to retain his postseason eligibility. That makes it a date worth watching, and according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, the National Basketball Players Association will have an eye on the situation.
Berman hears from sources that the NBPA will “intensify its interest” in the Noah situation if he remains on the Knicks’ roster – but not with the team – beyond March 1. If the veteran center wants to return to the Knicks at that point and the club wants him to remain in exile, things “could get ugly,” per Berman.
Sources tell Berman that the Knicks were within their right to suspend Noah for insubordination after he cursed out head coach Jeff Hornacek last month, but chose not to do so — Noah continues to receive his full salary during his absence. If the big man isn’t released this week, one potential scenario, Berman suggests, would see the Knicks brass telling him to sit tight and prepare for the 2018/19 season, when Hornacek may no longer be the club’s head coach.
While we wait to see what happens with Noah, let’s round up a few more items from out of New York City…
- In a separate article for The New York Post, Berman examines the upcoming summer for Frank Ntilikina. The rookie point guard has suggested he’ll spend much of his offseason in his home country of France, but the Knicks will likely want him to play for their Summer League team in July.
- Jahlil Okafor hasn’t seen any action for the Nets since February 12, but still believes he’s capable of fitting in with Brooklyn’s fast-paced style of play, writes Fred Kerber of The New York Post. “I wish we’d had him since training camp,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said of Okafor. “It makes it easier. We’re scrambling here trying to find a lineup so he’s a little bit of a victim of that.”
- Speaking of the Nets‘ lineup, it got a boost on Monday, as both Caris LeVert and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson returned from injuries. Tom Dowd has the details at the club’s official site.
If Hornacek and the Knicks truly don’t like Noah, they should wait until March 2nd to waive him. If you have to pay him anyway, why would you further reward someone you don’t like with an opportunity to play for a championship?
I imagine nbapa would file a grievance. NBA teams are expected to be professional and not act like children. Him playing in the playoffs doesn’t effect them, though I don’t think they’ll release him at all
But the players that are made into millionaires should be allowed to act like children and be rewarded for their behavior by being released, free to sign with any contender AND still get 100%, or the vast majority of it, if a buyout is done?
I’m usually pro-employee but the nature of sports is unfai when it comes to ownership.
Let me amend that. The current relationship between players and ownership in NBA and MLB particularly, isn’t as balanced as it needs to be.
The Knicks could’ve suspended Noah without pay for insubordination though. They didn’t so the fact that Noah is allowed to act like a child and receive full payment is the Knick’s fault.
The players can act like children though? Especially in this case, that’s why Noah is in this situation
That’s a pretty thing to do but guess what, I would do exactly that. Although it would further alienate future free agents from coming. It’s just crazy how that sounds. They will pay Noah every dollar he is owed despite all the injurious and pure attitude he’s displayed, yet they’ll look like the bad guy.
Not a knicks fan, but just my two cents. It’s the only leverage the Knicks have in a buyout scenario. If Noah isn’t willing to sacrifice salary to be able to play in the postseason then the knicks shouldn’t be forced to waive him by any date. He is under contract. What’s the difference if he is home or the 15th man off the bench.
It doesn’t work like that, man. Doing that is severely bad for business. That would be a huge red flag for other players that potentially would want to play in NYC. If I saw that an organization did that, I would sign with someone else. It’s just bad form.
It’s amusing to me that the NBPA is closely watching the situation regarding Noah – a player who is being paid in full for doing nothing, a player who has been injured, a player who was suspended for PED’s, a player who cursed out his coach. They want to make sure he’s being treated fairly? Let’s agree that being able to collect (in full) on that contract he hasn’t earned is ‘fair’ enough.
NY are best to wait until August/September before waivering him. That way they can stretch his salary over more years. And just saying to the guy “Stay home, work on your game, and come back in the Summer fit, fresh and ready to go” – who knows, perhaps he’d have improved aspects of his game and NY might find it beneficial to keep him.