Bulls, Joakim Noah agree on 5-year, $60M extension
The Bulls have extended the contract of their starting center, Joakim Noah. The team has elected not to let Noah enter restricted free-agency, which would have been the case upon the end of the up-coming season.
The Bulls believe that Noah has fully recovered from his case of plantar fasciitis that aggrevated him in the later portion of last season.
It is widely believed that the team discussed the potential option of dealing Noah, along in a trade package that would have included Luol Deng, to the Denver Nuggets for Carmelo Anthony. But now that possibility seems all but scrapped now that the Bulls have given their fourth-year center a near $12 million per-year contract. And on the eve of Boozer’s hand injury, it is unlikely the Bulls would dream of parting with Joakim Noah.
Joakim Noah has played like a man possessed ever since the 2009 seven-game battle with the Boston Celtics, in the first round of thge 2008 playoffs.
Joakim had a stellar 2009-10 campaign – averaging 10.7 points, 11 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per-game during the regular season. He capped it off with a dominant performace in the five-game first round battle against LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers – averaging 13 rebounds and 14.8 points on 53% field-goal shooting.
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