Clippers sign two-time all-star Joakim Noah for playoff push

Joakim Noah has joined the Los Angeles Clippers. (Frank Franklin II/AP)

LOS ANGELES — The Clippers have signed free-agent centre Joakim Noah, giving them an aggressive, physical presence with playoff experience.

The 35-year-old two-time All-Star played 42 games with Memphis last season after agreeing to a buyout with the New York Knicks. He averaged 7.1 points, 2.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds for the Grizzlies.

Noah attended the Clippers’ loss to the Lakers on Sunday at Staples Center, where he was warmly received as he made his way through the crowd and sat in the stands.

“Joakim is a relentless competitor and a proven winner,” Lawrence Frank, director of basketball operations, said Monday. “His experience, acumen and toughness fit well in our locker room.”

Noah has been limited to 124 games since the end of the 2014-15 season in Chicago, which selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. He was the NBA defensive player of the year in 2014.

Noah led Florida to NCAA championships in 2006 and ’07.

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