The Waive: Winners and Losers of Knicks Waiving Joakim Noah

After a very long saga, the New York Knicks have officially waived Joakim Noah.

The Knicks signed Noah in 2016 for a four year, $72 million contract. However, things didn’t go as planned, and the Knicks concluded that they needed to part ways with the center. Now that pen has been put to paper, both sides can finally move on. Still, it leaves one to wonder who the real winner in all this is?

Noah’s Side

Noah was recruited because the Knicks believed they could take advantage of Noah’s defensive prowess. That being said, the Knicks had no apparent reservations about signing such a big contract with the former Chicago Bull. However, after just one season, it seemed that the Knicks received little return on their investment. Injuries sidelined Noah, eventually leading to his reduced playing time. At one point he was even dropped to the team’s G-League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks. In January of this year, Noah officially took a hiatus from the team. Frustration with the franchise eventually led to this decision, resulting in Noah getting waived by the Knicks. However, he’s not leaving empty handed. New York plans on using the stretch provision of Noah’s contract to pay him his remains $38 million over the course of the next few years. Now, Noah has the option of signing with any other team that feels like picking him up. Moreover, the Knicks have already footed the bill, which means Noah is going to get paid regardless of what he does. That sounds like a huge win for the disgruntled center.

Knicks’ Side

On the other side of the coin, the New York Knicks may be in a better position after this move. Of course, no one wants to sign away $38 million. However, that was a mistake that the team can hopefully move forward from. Right now, the Knicks are in the middle of a rebuild, with hopes of a playoff run. Keeping a disgruntled center in the locker room  wouldn’t help develop the comradery that the Knicks are looking to foster.  Additionally, things are too far strained for the Knicks to get the best production from Noah if he wasn’t waived. Moreover, the risk of injury seems to run high when it comes to Noah. Even the prospect of another injury likely made New York less inclined to keep him in the fold. Given the circumstances, this may be the best that New York could have done regarding Joakim Noah.

It’s a tie?

Maybe there were no winners in this situation. New York will be losing $38 million no matter how they slice it. Joakim Noah, on the other hand, is still not playing basketball for any team. As outlined above, there are a few silver linings to the dark clouds that overshadowed this story. For now, it looks like the chapter will be ending on less than amicable terms. However, as it goes, parting is indeed a sweet sorrow.