Joakim Noah Leaves Knicks Due to 'Personal Reasons,' Will Miss Next 2 Games

New York Knicks center Joakim Noah will miss at least the next two games due to personal reasons, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Head coach Jeff Hornacek didn't get into specifics about the absence.

"We're not going to comment on that stuff," the coach said Thursday. "Personal reasons, he won’t be with us for a couple of games. He works hard to keep himself in shape. He’s professional that way. It’s always tough when you want to play."

Playing time has been hard to come by for Noah this season. The center was suspended to start the year and hasn't found a regular spot in the rotation since.

He has only appeared in seven games this year despite returning at the end of November, playing 40 total minutes and scoring 12 points. This comes after struggling last year with 5.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in 46 contests.

This is quite a disappointment for a player who joined the team on a four-year, $72 million deal.

The Knicks have a lot of options in the frontcourt between Kristaps Porzingis, Enes Kanter, Kyle O'Quinn and others, so much that promising youngster Willy Hernangomez has struggled to see the floor. As a result, Noah has been mostly relegated to garbage time in blowouts.

Although this means his absence won't hurt much on the court, it's just another reminder of the lack of return for Noah's high salary.