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LA Clippers should pounce on Joakim Noah before Lakers do

By Garrett Chorpenning

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 16: Joakim Noah #55 of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on in the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on March 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 16: Joakim Noah #55 of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on in the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on March 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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The LA Clippers are still in need of some depth down low, and Joakim Noah — who’s also being pursued by the Lakers — could be a good fit for the team.

The LA Clippers aren’t necessarily in desperate need of a center. Ivica Zubac has the potential to become a solid starting big over the course of the season, and with Montrezl Harrell playing the position with the second unit, the Clippers appear to be set up nicely. There’s also rookie Mfiondu Kabengele, and the team recently brought in Patrick Patterson as well, who’s capable of playing both the power forward and center position.

But with all that being said, the Clippers could still benefit from adding a more traditional center to the roster — one like Joakim Noah.

Now, Noah obviously isn’t what he used to be. The former All-Star and All-Defensive center has taken a step back from the glory he found with the Chicago Bulls, and he’s not capable of being a full-time starting center on a competitive team anymore. But Noah would still be great as an insurance big, and could be an important asset to have in certain lineups and matchups.

It’s unknown if the Clippers have any interest in signing Noah, but the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly do, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

According to Wojnarowski’s report, the Lakers are planning to work out Noah now that DeMarcus Cousins could miss the entirety of the season with a torn ACL. In addition to Noah, the Lakers are also planning on working out Dwight Howard, in addition to former Clippers Marreese Speights and Marcin Gortat.

With Cousins out, the Lakers are certainly more in the market for a big man. They do already have JaVale McGee on the roster, who started in 62 of 75 appearances last season for the Lakers, but it appears the team has their sights set higher.

Of all the candidates available for the job, Howard is arguably the best fit for the Lakers. He’s the most capable of the bunch to play a starting role, and prior to the 2018-2019 season, he was fresh off a relatively successful campaign with the Charlotte Hornets. Noah, on the other hand, could cause fewer locker room issues and comes with less baggage in general.

Speights and Gortat are the least talented of the bunch, and both players were out of the league by last season’s trade deadline. Speights was unsigned entering the 2018-2019 season, and Gortat was waived prior to the deadline after the Clippers acquired Zubac.

If the Clippers are serious about adding another big, Noah seems like the clear choice — he’s the best fit with the team’s newly established culture, and his willingness to take on a lesser role would allow the Clippers to keep their center rotation intact.

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Of course, the LA Clippers won’t be in bad shape if they don’t add Noah. They’re still favored to win the title this upcoming season, after all. Preparing for the unexpected could help them out in the long run though, and adding Noah would be a smart insurance move.

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