The New York Knicks have been trying to trade Joakim Noah for the last several months, but haven't found any takers because of the center’s burdensome contract. Already cleared to play after serving a 20-game ban for violation against the league’s substance abuse policy, the former All-NBA member and Defensive Player of the Year hasn’t logged a single second this season with four active players battling for minutes at the center position.

Will the Timberwolves gamble?

NBA insider Marc Beerman of the New York Post indicated in his report that the Knicks may consider waiving Noah if they still can’t find a team willing to absorb his contract.

The plan is to use the stretch provision on Noah’s contract, allowing the Knicks to create some wiggle room in their cap space over the next five years. However, Knicks general manager Scott Perry remains steadfast in finding the right deal for the veteran big man.

According to Beerman, the Minnesota Timberwolves could emerge as potential suitors for Noah. Minnesota is obviously thriving with big man Karl Anthony-Towns manning the center position, but another talented young center Gorgui Dieng is being underused since the arrival of veteran banger Taj Gibson.

The Wolves are projected to be a playoff team this season after beefing up their roster with the acquisitions of Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague, Jamal Crawford, and Taj Gibson in the offseason.

However, rim protection and interior defense remain the biggest hole on this young Minnesota team.

Hot Take: Noah could assume the role as a mentor for the Wolves’ young bigs. He could even play some spot minutes when needed. Keep in mind, Minnesota head coach Tom Thibodeau knows how to maximize his former player’s skills set (interior passing, rebounding, and rim protection).

Still, that won’t change the fact that Noah is nothing more but a shell of his former self at 32. It would take a whole new level of craziness for the Wolves to trade a still-developing Dieng for Noah and the remaining $55 million on his contract. The most logical route for Noah to join Minnesota is through free agency in the post-buyout market.

Melo’s free agency decision

After orchestrating a trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder, nothing is set in stone in regards to Carmelo Anthony’s future. Anthony has one year left on his current deal ($27 million), though he can exercise an early termination option to hit the free agency market next summer.

However, Hoops Rumors writer Luke Adams thinks Melo has more reasons to op in rather than to opt out. Anthony is already 33 years old and a big money deal wouldn’t be easy to come by at this point in his career. Adams believes a disappointing 2017-18 NBA season by the Thunder is the only scenario in which Melo would probably leave $27 million on the table.

“If the season goes really poorly for the Thunder, maybe Anthony opts out just to get a change of scenery, but at this point, I’d count on him opting in,” Adams noted in his article on Hoops Rumors.
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