NBA Rumors: Timberwolves to target Joakim Noah
By Josh Hill
The Minnesota Timberwolves are going to target signing Joakim Noah this summer in free agency.
When the Minnesota Timberwolves hired ex-Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau this summer, it was the culmination of all of my NBA2K dreams where I made this reality happen. It was also the start of endless ‘getting the band back together’ rumblings in regards to former players Thibs has coached joining him in Minnesota.
One of the biggest names — and the first official rumor — is Joakim Noah and the Wolves interest in the unrestricted free agent center.
According to Mitch Lawrence from The Sporting News, the Wolves and Thibodeau are indeed going to target bringing Joakim Noah to Minnesota this summer.
"League sources tell Sporting News that Thibodeau has targeted Joakim Noah, who is an unrestricted free agent and has interest in leaving Chicago and re-joining Thibodeau."
This is hardly surprising and it’s absolutely not any indication that this is close to a done deal. Noah could theoretically still return to Chicago on a one-year deal to try and get one final big contract on the free agent market once the TV money kicks in.
But more realistically, the Wolves will have competition from teams like the Knicks, Rockets, Mavericks and others who covet the leadership and skill that Noah brings to both the locker room and the court.
If there’s an ex-Bulls player that you should push your chips to the middle for when it comes to guys Thibs might target, it’s Luol Deng. He was a favorite — if not the favorite — among the players Thibodeau coached in Chicago and a reunion in Minnesota could be in order.
Adding Noah to the mix seems to only further indicate that this is going to be one of the biggest offseasons the Wolves have ever had.
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