Report: Bulls' Noah unhappy with role under Hoiberg

Once a prominent member of the Chicago Bulls rotation whose tireless passion would lift up his teammates, 30-year-old Joakim Noah has seen his role diminish from starting center to backup who doesn't see the floor during crunch time.

That doesn't sit well with the former Florida Gator, who has grown frustrated with his lack of playing time under first-year head coach Fred Hoiberg, reports the Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Cowley.

In an effort to improve the Bulls' offense, Hoiberg moved Noah to the second unit and put Nikola Mirotic next to Pau Gasol in the starting lineup at the start of the season. A source told Cowley that Noah "still hasn't moved past losing his starting job" - which he'd held for all but two games over the previous five seasons - and "isn't the biggest Hoiberg fan these days."

The Bulls currently sit fourth in the much-improved Eastern Conference, having lost three games in a row after winning six straight. The hope within the organization was that Noah would see the team winning and understand that it's better served with him in a reserve role, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

Rumors have circulated that management may look to move either Noah or Taj Gibson to bolster depth at the wing positions. Noah's resume over his nine-year career is quite impressive - with two All-Star appearances, a spot on the All-NBA First Team (2014), and some Defensive Player of the Year hardware (2014) - but it's clear his physical, high-energy game has begun to take a toll on his body.

Noah recently returned to action after a shoulder injury sidelined him for nine games, during which Chicago went 7-2 - a record that doesn't help his case for more playing time. The Bulls have scored 4.1 more points per 100 possession when Noah's riding the pine.

Related: Joakim Noah's struggles continue in return from shoulder injury

Hoiberg's roster is loaded with options to play in front of a frustrated Noah, with Gasol, Mirotic, Gibson, and even rookie Bobby Portis proving to be more reliable on both ends of the floor. Noah is averaging his fewest minutes since being drafted ninth overall in 2007, is a non-factor on offense (4.3 points on 38.2 percent shooting) and struggles to hold onto the rock (2.7 turnovers per 36 minutes) when he does see the floor.

With an expiring $13.5-million contract, Noah can walk in free agency this summer if Chicago doesn't send him packing prior to the trade deadline. His value has never been lower, but there's always a chance he finds new life in a different uniform, returning to the enthusiastic, vigorous competitor he once was.