Bulls center Joakim Noah will be a free agent this summer, and his agent addressed rumors that his client is looking for a way out of The Windy City.
According to Bill Duffy, Noah isn’t planning to bolt.
Bill Duffy, Noah's agent: "Joakim and I speak on daily about his future. There has been zero indication he doesn't wish to return to Bulls."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) May 25, 2016
Bill Duffy, Joakim Noah's agent: "Joakim has great respect for the city, the fans and the organization."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) May 25, 2016
For what it’s worth, Bulls executive vice president John Paxson said he wants to re-sign the veteran big man, and team owner Jerry Reinsdorf loves his game.
Per the Chicago Tribune:
The Bulls are under no illusion that re-signing Noah will be easy, if that’s the path they choose. Noah, as team-first an athlete as one will find, wants a starting role and a chance to win a championship. […] And it’s well-documented Noah didn’t love that Fred Hoiberg concocted a story last October about Noah wanting to come off the bench. That relationship improved as the season progressed, though, especially because Noah did tell Hoiberg he enjoyed playing with Taj Gibson — although Noah expected to be finishing games.
But Noah’s appreciation for being a one-franchise player is genuine, as is his love for the city in which his Noah’s Arc Foundation has done extensive work promoting nonviolence initiatives for youth.
Beyond Paxson’s strong feelings for Noah, Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf long has had a strong relationship with the franchise’s emotional leader. Beyond his on-court contributions, Noah has been one of the more active community service-minded players in franchise history. […] “We are going to sit down with Jo and his agent,” Paxson said in April. “In situations like this, it’s got to be right for both sides. Anyone who has spoken to either (general manager) Gar (Forman) or me about Joakim, they know how we feel about him. He represents a lot that we believe in. To me, he’s one of the most genuine people I’ve ever been around in this business.”
