Bulls' Joakim Noah out 4-6 months for shoulder surgery

Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah will undergo surgery on his dislocated left shoulder and will miss 4-6 months, the team said in a news release Saturday.

Noah sustained the injury in Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, which may be Noah’s last game in a Bulls uniform.

Noah, who was moved to the bench under first-year coach Fred Hoiberg, is in the final year of a five-year, $60 million deal. He is averaging his fewest minutes (21.9) since his rookie season in 2007-08 and a career-low in points (4.3) and shooting percentage (38.3%).

But he still averaging 8.8 rebounds and remains a strong passing center at 3.8 assists per game. He is also a locker room favorite.

Joakim Noah suffers shoulder injury in Bulls' loss

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No player is thrilled with coming off the bench, especially after several seasons as a starter. But Noah said he was willing to do whatever was required to help the Bulls win. Chicago is 23-16 and in third place in the East. But they are also three games from ninth place, too, and the team has had an uneven performance in Hoiberg’s first season.

Chicago has lost four of its past five games, and had it not been for Jimmy Butler’s 53 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, it might be five losses in a row.

Noah’s injury also closes whatever window there was on the Bulls’ desire to trade him. They were exploring what they could get for him as the February trade deadline approached.

Bulls recall forward Felicio after Noah separates shoulder

Noah has been bothered by injuries the past two seasons. He had surgery on his left knee following the 2013-14 season, and it was obvious he was not 100% last season.

The Bulls were also quietly checking into deals for Pau Gasol, who will opt out of the final year of his contract after this season. But Gasol, who played in Friday’s loss to the Mavericks, is also battling injuries (shoulder, Achilles) and has a short list of teams he will sign with, making it difficult to trade him for a valuable asset.

Follow Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.