Joakim Noah has gone from the NBA's suspended list, to the Knicks inactive list, and now to the G-League.
The Knicks announced that Noah has been assigned to the Westchester Knicks for Wednesday morning's game against the Maine Red Claws. Noah is expected to be back with the Knicks for Wednesday night's game against the Heat at the Garden.
Rookie Damyean Dotson also was assigned to the G-League and should be back with the Knicks for the Heat game.
The G-League is the NBA's official minor league, and often times players are sent down to get some work in that they're not getting for the main team. It's not often that a former All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year is sent down, though.
Noah, who signed a four-year, $72 million contract in the summer of 2016, could use the work. He has played in just one game this season, totaling three minutes.
The 11th-year veteran missed the Knicks' first 12 games while serving the remainder of his 20-game ban from last season for violating the terms of the NBA's anti-drug policy. Noah was inactive for the next seven games before he was active and played Monday.
Jeff Hornacek has found a center rotation that has worked with Enes Kanter starting and Kyle O'Quinn coming off the bench.
Second-year center Willy Hernangomez was consider a cornerstone player, but he's played sparingly and is also a candidate to be sent to the G-League at some point if the Knicks want him to get extra work.
