Joakim Noah to sign with Knicks for around $18 million per season

There long has been talk that Joakim Noah is likely to sign with the New York Knicks in free agency, and it sounds like that is the case.

The Washington Post’s Tim Bontemps reports that Noah will almost certainly be signing with the Knicks for around $18 million per season.

ESPN’s Marc Stein is hearing much of the same from teams around the league:

Have heard the same lament from multiple interested teams tonight: They see New York as a big favorite to land Joakim Noah in free agency.

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 30, 2016

The phrasing tends to be the same from every team we ask with Joakim Noah interest: We don't have a chance because the Knicks are his choice

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 30, 2016

Noah only played in 29 games last season after suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery. He also spent the majority of the season coming off the bench for the first time in years, which in part contributed to his production dropping off dramatically. The 31-year-old big man averaged 4.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game and was not happy with his role.

Noah seemed to be on his way out with the Bulls, and that was pretty much confirmed when Chicago acquired Robin Lopez from the Knicks as part of the Derrick Rose trade. If Noah does sign with the Knicks, he’ll continue to be teammates with Rose.