Bulls' Noah out 4-6 months with separated shoulder

The Chicago Bulls will be without center Joakim Noah for four-to-six months, as he needs to undergo surgery to repair his separated shoulder, the team announced Saturday.

It'll effectively end Noah's season, and potentially his nine-year career with the team, as he's in the final year of his contract.

Noah suffered the injury during Friday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks. He was battling with JaVale McGee in the paint and his shoulder appeared to pop out of the socket for a moment. He immediately ran to the locker room and didn't return.

He previously missed nine games this season with a slight tear in the same shoulder, and struggled immensely upon returning to the lineup.

It's been a trying season for the 30-year-old Noah, who was demoted to the bench for the first time since 2010, dealt with various nagging injuries, and saw his averages drop precipitously to career lows.

After earning Defensive Player of the Year honors and a spot on the All-NBA first team in 2014, injuries cut Noah's averages to 4.3 points per game on 38.3 percent shooting from the floor.

With his declining effectiveness and questionable fit in head coach Fred Hoiberg's system, Noah's name has been floated around in trade rumors. The news of his season-ending injury, however, will likely put an end to any value he might have carried.

Despite his struggles on the court, Noah remains a fixture for the Bulls. He's served as both the backbone of one of the league's best defenses over the past five seasons, as well as the emotional leader for a decidedly blue-collared Bulls squad.

His teammates were utterly devastated by the news of his injury.