FEBRUARY 10: Gibson officially signed his second 10-day contract with the Knicks, according to team PR (Twitter link).
FEBRUARY 9: The Knicks are bringing back Taj Gibson on a second 10-day contract, reports Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Gibson’s first 10-day deal expired on Thursday night.
The move comes as no real surprise, given that Gibson is a Tom Thibodeau favorite and the Knicks have no shortage of roster spots available after trading four players to Detroit on Thursday and only taking back two in return. Even after re-signing the 38-year-old, New York will have two openings on its 15-man roster.
Thibodeau made it clear on Thursday that he hoped Gibson would be re-signed, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
“It’s obvious. He’s been terrific,” Thibodeau said. “On any team, at any time, he’s a great addition. So I’m hopeful. (President of basketball operations) Leon (Rose) will (look at) everything and we’ll always do what’s best for the team. But everyone in the organization loves him and has an appreciation for him.”
This will be the third contract Gibson has signed with the Knicks this season. He initially rejoined the team on December 15 on a non-guaranteed deal and was waived on January 7, before his full-season cap hit was locked in. New York brought him back on a 10-day contract on Jan. 30.
Gibson typically wouldn’t be part of the Knicks’ rotation, but he has been forced into action several times this season due to frontcourt injuries. He logged 22 minutes in Thursday’s loss to Dallas, with Isaiah Hartenstein departing that contest early due to a sore left Achilles (Twitter link via Steve Popper of Newsday).
Gibson will earn a $183,704 salary over the course of his 10-day deal, while New York will carry a $116,075 cap hit. The contract will cover the team’s next three games before expiring during the All-Star break. If the Knicks want to retain him beyond that, they’ll need to offer a rest-of-season deal.
Love Taj. Doesn’t have much left in the tank but he’s a great presence and a fan favorite. Reminds me of Herb Williams.
Taj figures to get that rest of the year deal after the ASB, as the roster is still only at 13. NYK won’t get more than 2 buyout guys, if they get that.
The media’s fawning over their soon-to-be roster when healthy won’t change the facts on the ground for the next 3 games. NYK are most likely going to be seriously shorthanded, even if BB and AB get in and on board before SAT’s game. Brunson, IH and Sims all missed the 2nd half last night. This could be a rough stretch for them.
amazng hw flks uz abrs whn splng tks lttl tm. tkng SAT ? nt ths nuklhds
I think it’d be fun if there was a romantic angle to this story. “I can’t quit you, Taj!” Would explain a lot.
Taj is like a player coach. Knows Thibs well and what he wants from his players. Sets a good example. Good for him
OG will be out 3wks. Plus getting back in shape. Randle and Mitch out. Hartenstein hurting. Brunson gotta let him get healthy.
So Knicks will need everyone. New guys and Achiuwa, Sims to step up. Depth is our strength. So I hope we can hold our ground with this team……..
Taj is awesome, and I hope when he’s done playing, he’s on the bench as a coach. Only Taj knows when to stop playing