LA Clippers: Joakim Noah to sign with team for rest of season

Joakim Noah and the LA Clippers will continue their partnership through the remainder of the 2019-2020 NBA season.

The LA Clippers and center Joakim Noah agreed to a 10-day contract before the season suspended but the two sides will agree to a new deal when the transaction window opens.

Noah, who was signed on March 9 on a 10-day contract, will sign a deal that will keep him with the LA Clippers through the remainder of the season in Orlando, Florida.

The news came early Saturday afternoon from The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Noah has not seen any in-game action this season for the LA Clippers and his last NBA action came last season for the Memphis Grizzlies, where he played 42 games averaging seven points and five rebounds per game.

With Ivica Zubac and Montrezl Harrell taking nearly all of the center minutes, Noah’s signing is likely a failsafe for the LA Clippers in the case that either Zubac or Harrell comes down with an injury or the possibility of a positive COVID-19 test. He also provides another irritant for LeBron James, should the Lakers and Clippers end up facing each other in the Western Conference Finals.

Noah is also a seasoned veteran who was instrumental in the success of the Derrick Rose led Chicago Bulls’ teams in the early 2010s. His presence alone should be a positive in the LA Clippers locker room and if he’s needed in a playoff game, his hard work and tenacity could have a positive impact on the floor as well. Given his reputation for being a great locker room guy, he’s the perfect type of player to add to a team that will be stuck together in a bubble in Orlando with the rest of the league.

Don’t expect Noah to get much playing time but the veteran leadership alongside Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Lou Williams could be huge for a team looking to get back into a groove quickly and contend for a championship.