HoopsVibe

After chatter kicked up on Thursday that the Bulls could include Joakim Noah in a possible deal for Carmelo Anthony, ESPN.com's Marc Stein provided some updates on Friday morning.

"Be advised that the Bulls are actually working on something else Noah-related: Getting him locked in for the long term with a contract extension," Stein wrote.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: He’s the second coming of super-utility man Horace Grant, so the Chicago Bulls must re-sign Joakim Noah.

Like Grant, Noah does the little things. He rebounds. He defends. He blocks shots. Best of all, he’s nasty.
 
Last year, during a blow-out loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Noah took exception to LeBron James turning Quicken Loans Arena into Soul Train with his celebratory dance moves.

So he stepped up.

From the bench, Noah challenged James for his lack of respect. Words were exchanged. The two had to be separated.

Such guts are rare. James is an elite player; a superstar who sits atop the NBA pyramid. Noah still spoke up, earning the respect of teammates and former coach Vinny Del Negro.

Noah will blossom under defensive guru Tom Thibodeau. The first-year sideline boss will use the power forward as a defensive anchor, while encouraging him to contribute on the offensive end.     

First, however, the Bulls and Noah must agree on an extension. Or, like Grant, he could eventually leave as a free agent.

--Oly Sandor.

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