Joakim Noah has undergone knee surgery following the Chicago Bulls' exit from the NBA playoffs.

The center, who was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the 2013-14 season, had the procedure on his left knee yesterday.

The 29-year-old played during Tuesday's loss to the Washington Wizards, which ended the team's season, but was noticeably limping.

The team has said that Noah will need eight to 12 weeks to recover from the operation, which has been described as "minor".