Joakim Noah and Chicago Bulls Agree To Five-Year Extension

The same day Bulls prized  free agent forward Carlos Boozer is injured for two months, they are re-signing center Joakim Noah, according to sources around the NBA and in Chicago

The terms of the deal are five years and around 60 million dollars, according to espn.com. His rookie deal was set to expire after the 2010-2011 season.

Having a successful college career, winning two consecutive NCAA Men's Basketball championships at Florida, Noah was picked in the 2007 NBA Draft in the first round as the ninth overall pick. After rumors of him going to Los Angeles for Kobe Bryant, and his lack of desire to be a Bull, Noah has become a fan favorite in Chicago, and despised by many in the NBA, with his remarks about Cleveland and his energy and passion for winning.

Noah is going into his fourth season as a Bull and has improved every year.  He is remembered for his dunk over Paul Pierce in game six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in 2009.

In the 2009-2010 season, Noah became known for his energy and hustle on defense and on rebounding, when he averaged 10 points and 12 rebounds last year.

After Dwayne Wade made his remarks about the Bulls not being loyal to their organization, one has to speculate that Scottie Pippen coming back as an ambassador for the Bulls and this extension for Joakim Noah are because of Wade's concern about loyalty.

The Chicago White Sox, also owned by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, have hired Frank Thomas as an ambassador, and are looking to re-sign longtime slugger Paul Konerko this winter.