Getty Taj Gibson
Taj Gibson was a former member of the Chicago Bulls’ Bench Mob. A group of reserves from 2008-11 that helped power the Bulls’ second unit during one of the few post-Michael-Jordan-era highlights for the franchise.
Gibson has bounced around the league a bit since leaving the Bulls in 2017, and his most recent travels will take the 37-year-old big man to the nation’s capital. On July 20, the Washington Wizards announced they had agreed with the free-agent center who played for his old Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks for the last three years.
What Does Taj Gibson Have Left in the Tank?
For Gibson, a native New Yorker, his time with the Knicks was something of a homecoming, but that chapter is over, and he has landed at what could be the final stop of a successful career as a role-playing big man. Throughout Gibson’s NBA career, he has averaged 9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1 assist, and a block per game in about 24.5 minutes of action per contest.
He has recently added some shooting range to his game. Gibson made 39.5% of his three-point attempts last season with the Knicks. He only attempted 39 long-range shots, but he made 15 of those attempts, which should be enough to justify Gibson taking them with a bit more regularity.
Gibson joins a Wizards team with some bright spots but doesn’t look like a squad ready to contend during the 2022-23 season. Bradley Beal was re-signed, and they also have rookie point guard Johnny Davis to go with Kyle Kuzma and the talented but oft-injured Kristaps Porzingis.
However, there is a level of frailty to the lineup that isn’t good enough on both ends to contend even if everyone remains healthy. When a veteran like Gibson signs to play for a team like the Wizards–especially once most of the major player movement has taken place during the free-agency period–you have to wonder if the deal was signed with the intention of it being his final contract before retirement.
Did the Bulls Have Interest in a Reunion With Gibson?
The Bulls needed a backup center this offseason, and you could argue they still need someone to spell Patrick Williams at the power forward position. At this stage of Gibson’s career, he would have potentially been more of a fit at the center spot, but the Bulls elected to sign Andre Drummond as Nikola Vucevic’s backup.
They haven’t brought in a veteran to back up Williams yet, but it is possible those minutes could go to undrafted rookie free-agent signing Justin Lewis. The Marquette alum was signed to a two-way deal just before the Summer League began. After showing pretty well in Las Vegas, it appears the Bulls’ organization is high on Lewis.
Don’t sleep on Justin Lewis.
Lewis is the more athletic and defensively versatile type who can do some of what the Bulls want to see from Williams. Gibson–especially at age 37–is a different kind of player. That might explain why there wasn’t a sliver of rumor or speculation suggesting there would be a reunion between Gibson and the Bulls before he signed with the Wizards.