Bulls center Joakim Noah is rumored to be close to an exit in Chicago this offseason and that the Minnesota Timberwolves are interested in acquiring the spirited big man.

Bleacher Report indicated that "things are close to blowing up in Chicago" if the team's senior officials will not be able to spend the summer smartly when it comes to drafts, trades, and free agent acquisitions.

Like Us on Facebook

The Bulls did not qualify in this year's playoffs, finishing ninth in the Eastern Conference standings with a 42-40 slate, despite having two of perhaps the best veteran centers in the league in Noah and Pau Gasol.

The combination of the two seven-footers has not been fruitful since the beginning, prompting new head coach Fred Hoiberg to place Noah on the bench while favoring Gasol to be in the starting lineup.

Speculations emerged since then that Noah is slowly becoming a dispensable part of Hoiberg's system and that it is only a matter of time before he gets traded or let go in free-agency at the end of the season.

The 31-year-old Noah is in the final year of his five-year, $60 million deal with the Bulls and will become an unrestricted free agent in July, which is the first time in his entire nine-year career.

With Gasol also becoming a free agent and is expected to test the market for potential suitors this summer, there were rumors that Chicago suddenly wants to keep Noah. However, the latter may no longer be too enthused to stay knowing that he is only a second option for the only club he played for in his whole professional career.

Meanwhile, the Wolves are said to be keen on acquiring Noah's services for next season as Tom Thibodeau is now the head coach and president of the said basketball organization, HNGN reported.

Thibodeau was the former Bulls head coach that was responsible for developing Noah to become a defensive monster in the league, which culminated in the latter being named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year in 2014.

Noah would be a welcome addition to the youthful Minnesota roster as a veteran voice in the locker room and guide on the court, adding stability and experience to the lineup.

TagsNBA Free-Agency Rumors, NBA Free-Agency Rumors 2016, Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves