It's Time for the Chicago Bulls and Joakim Noah to Move On from Each Other

Goodbyes are hard, but sometimes they're necessary. That's where the Chicago Bulls and Joakim Noah find themselves this summer.

For the past nine years, Noah has been a Chicago institution, both on the court and in the community. He's the team’s emotional leader and, when healthy, a game-changing defensive presence in the frontcourt with the passing instincts of a point guard.

Seeing him in a different uniform will be jarring for Bulls fans, but after years of injuries and frayed good will with the team, letting him walk is the right move.

Conflicting reports came out on Wednesday about Noah's mindset as he prepares to hit the open market for the first time in his career.

The Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Cowley reported that Noah has told teammates he's done with the organization. Shortly afterward, Noah's agent, Bill Duffy, told the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson that he hasn't ruled out a return. Then, ESPN.com's Nick Friedell reported that Noah has had "positive dialogue" with the front office about a new deal.

Until July 1, it's all noise, but there are significant hurdles for both sides to clear if Noah is going to stay in Chicago.

Wounds still must heal from a season that started with a botched public relations handling of Noah's move to a bench role and ended with Noah undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in January.

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Not even a week into the regular season, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg told ESPN.com's Zach Lowe (then writing for Grantland) that the move to the bench was Noah's idea—not his. Noah shot down that notion the next day. For the rest of the season, although Noah never publicly complained about his reduced role, it was obvious to everyone around him that he wasn’t happy about it.

When Noah’s shoulder surgery forced him to spend large chunks of the year in New York rehabbing, the Bulls' season slowly went off the rails, thanks in no small part to the absence of the guy who had been the strongest voice in the locker room—their most dependable emotional leader.

And so the Bulls' discussions with Noah this summer will begin with a deficit of trust that must be overcome. The front office wants him back, but it might not be the front office's choice.

"In situations like this, it's got to be right for both sides," vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said in April after the Bulls' final regular-season game. "Anyone who has been around us, anybody who has spoken to either (general manager Gar Forman) or I about Joakim, they know how we feel about him; he represents a lot of things that we believe in. To me, he's one of the most genuine people I've ever been around in this business, as far as people go. So we have an affinity for Jo. But we've got to talk. We've got to see where it goes."

Where it will go, in all likelihood, is that Noah will want more money than the Bulls are willing to give him, and the team will not be able to promise him as prominent a role as he would like.

Make no mistake: Even with Noah's health history and declined production, there will be suitors in free agency.

The free-agent class is thin outside of the Kevin Durant-Al Horford tier of stars, and Noah—for all his health question marks—is a name, a former All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year. Those credentials and his sterling reputation as a teammate will lead to interest around the league, likely to the tune of more money than the Bulls will or should feel comfortable giving him.

The Bulls' disappointing 2015-16 season showed plainly how flawed the roster is, and this summer will be a crucial one for Chicago's front office.

With Noah and Pau Gasol (player option) off the books, the Bulls would have around $23 million in cap space, according to Basketball Insiders' Eric Pincus. That money that could be better used elsewhere, rather than bringing back a past-his-prime Noah, who will be in no mood to give a hometown discount.

If the Bulls are looking for a defensive-minded center to play a similar role, Ian Mahinmi and Bismack Biyombo are younger, healthier options who could be in their price range. 

But they need help everywhere on the depth chart, and although there are no realistic star targets, the Bulls could make a dent in the role-player market by chasing names such as Kent Bazemore.

They’ll have options, and a lot of them will be more attractive than the player Noah is in 2016.

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press/Associated Press

For Noah, a fresh start somewhere else could be just the thing he needs to reinvigorate his career.

He hasn't been the same since his 2013-14 Defensive Player of the Year campaign, when he was fourth in MVP voting. He had knee surgery that summer, the effects of which lingered throughout the year as the training staff kept him on a minutes limit.

Noah never quite clicked with Gasol as a frontcourt partner[,] and he struggled to adjust to that reserve role under Hoiberg before the shoulder injury.

The Bulls know what they’re getting with Noah, and they should know enough to see that his best years are behind him. Another team could likely easily talk Noah into the change-of-scenery narrative, and it doesn’t hurt that he could be a valuable veteran presence, even as his on-court value declines.

In a rare summer when Chicago has cap space, it must spend on players who will be productive enough to get the team back into playoff contention.

Looking to the long run, both Noah and the Bulls will be better off if they move on from each other. It was a good run while it lasted, but both player and team are in different places now.

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.