Report: Orlando Magic tried to sign Joakim Noah

In an NBA offseason that saw free agents bathing in money, sources indicate the Orlando Magic tried to sign Joakim Noah in their latest rebuilding attempt.

The Orlando Magic have been in the process of re-shaping their roster since trading Dwight Howard in 2012. Since that deal, the Magic have done away with promising young players such as Tobias Harris, who was traded to the Detroit Pistons, and gotten almost nothing in return.

New head coach Frank Vogel’s roster has already seen dramatic turnover from last season. Most notably, the Magic parted ways with talented young guard Victor Oladipo and acquired forward Serge Ibaka from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

And it appears the Magic also whiffed on one of the prized big men in 2016 free agency: Joakim Noah.

According to sources and ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the Magic attempted to sign the former Chicago Bulls center shortly before Noah signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the New York Knicks, where he will reunite with former Bulls guard Derrick Rose.

Orlando ultimately signed former Toronto Raptors center Bismack Biyombo to an identical four-year contract in an effort to solidify the team’s front court.

“I guess the rebuilding process wasn’t going as well as they wanted,” center Nikola Vucevic told ESPN when asked about the Magic’s free agent signings.

Compared side-by-side, Noah has the advantage over Biyombo in points (9.3), rebounds (9.4) and assists (3.0) per game, though Noah is also entering his 9th season in the NBA at the age of 30. Biyombo, meanwhile, is only 23 and was arguably the MVP of the Toronto Raptors’ 2016 Eastern Conference Finals run.

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