Joakim Noah, Clippers Agree to Contract Reportedly Running Through Next Season

The Los Angeles Clippers signed free-agent center Joakim Noah to a new contract, the club announced Sunday.

According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times and Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the deal also includes a non-guaranteed contract for 2020-21. Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic had previously reported on June 20 that Noah had come to terms with Los Angeles for the rest of the 2019-20 season.

Noah will be available for the team's eight regular-season games plus playoffs.

The Clips only have one traditional center in their rotation in starting big man Ivica Zubac. Otherwise, L.A. usually goes smaller, with Montrezl Harrell primarily manning the low post in Zubac's absence.

Adding Noah gives the Clips another chess piece to work with if they want to mix and match their deep rotation with their opponents. It also serves as insurance in case Zubac is forced off the floor for any reason.

Noah, 35, last played for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2018-19, averaging 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds in just 16.5 minutes per game. The former Florida Gator is a two-time NCAA champion who also made two All-Star teams and was named the 2013-14 Defensive Player of the Year. He landed on the 2013-14 All-NBA first team as well.

Noah played with the Chicago Bulls from 2007-2016 before signing with the New York Knicks. He then inked a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2018.

The 6'11" big man did not find a team throughout the first portion of the 2019-20 season, but he did get a tryout and interview with the Los Angeles Lakers in August.

The Lakers ultimately decided to roll with Dwight Howard to fill a center spot in their rotation left by DeMarcus Cousins, who suffered a torn ACL during a preseason practice.

Noah will face off against the team he nearly joined, however, with the Clippers and Lakers set to play on the first night of the NBA's return (July 30) following a four-and-a-half-month suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.