Noah not interested in addressing rumors while season still in progress.
Following speculation over a conversation between the two during the All-Star break, Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah and New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony have “nothing to say” on the matter.
Speaking ahead of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at the United Center on Friday night, Noah insisted that he would not be speaking about “gossip” after ESPN reported that he had told Anthony to come to Chicago if he wanted to win championships.
The 29-year-old will be a free agent this summer and despite previous indications that he would be willing to take a pay cut to remain in New York and allow the organisation to build a competitive roster, more recent reports suggest Chicago is quickly become a top choice.
“I don’t feel like addressing it. I really have nothing to say about it,” Noah said, according to ESPN.
“Doesn’t matter,” Noah said. “What does that have to do with our team right now? It doesn’t matter.”
Meanwhile, Anthony was similarly tight-lipped over the alleged conversation after the win over the Utah Jazz on Friday, revealing that he had heard the story but didn’t know what to say about it.
“I heard about that one, too,” Anthony said. “Every day it’s a story. Every day it’s going to be a new story. I have no information about that. I don’t know how that story got out there who started that story. I don’t know. I really don’t know what to say about it.”
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was equally as dismissive, insisting that the rumours are bound to start ahead of the summer but that his primary focus is keeping his team in line and making sure that they are successful this season.
Nevertheless, the questions will undoubtedly continue to be asked ahead of the end of the season, with Anthony’s future the biggest story heading into the summer.
While Noah, Anthony and Thibodeau are keen to avoid addressing the situation right now, it is an exciting time for Chicago fans as they could receive a significant boost for their championship aspirations next season were the Knicks star to arrive.
Their task in creating cap space has been well documented, and it would require Anthony to leave a lot of money on the table, but if his motivation is to win championships then it remains to be seen where he feels he has the best chance to do that.
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