By Agence France-Presse
Free agent center Joakim Noah has agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Clippers and will join the club next week as its push intensifies for the NBA playoffs, according to reports Friday.
Joakim Noah (Photo by Kevin C. Cox / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
Noah, the 35-year-old son of French tennis legend Yannick Noah, would take a vacant roster spot for the Clippers, who rank second in the Western Conference at 43-19.
Noah would sign a 10-day contract next week with hopes he would remain with the club for the rest of the season, according to ESPN and The Athletic.
He has not played this season, instead working out in New York and Los Angeles to recover from Achilles tendon surgery.
"The grind can't stop. This is all I know," Noah posted on his Instagram account in January with a photo of him running on a track. "4 months post achilles surgery and I'm back on the track. My goal is to get back out there and compete. I've had many surgeries but coming back from this would be very rewarding."
Noah, a 12-year NBA veteran, averaged 7.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists over 42 games last season for Memphis, where he landed after a buyout from the New York Knicks.
Noah spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Chicago Bulls, earning All-Star nods in 2013 and 2014 and the 2014 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
He boasts NBA career averages of 8.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.8 rebounds a game over 667 games.
The Clippers, sparked by 2019 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Kawhi Leonard, are five games behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the West with the fourth-best record in the league with the post-season title chasing starting next month.