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A favorite of New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau could soon be out the door if opposing teams get their wish.
Taj Gibson, a Thibodeau favorite dating back to their days together in Chicago, is drawing interest from around the league according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
Gibson has become expendable after signing Mitchell Robinson to a four-year contract extension and Isaiah Hartenstein came over from the Los Angeles Clippers. Although Gibson was invaluable to the team last season after injuries to both Nerlens Noel and Robinson, he’s also 37 years old and the Knicks might just want to get younger.
Will Gibson Be Moved?
Begley reports that multiple teams have shown interest in acquiring the veteran.
“Multiple teams have expressed interest in NYK’s Taj Gibson during FA period,” he reported. “Gibson’s contract for next year is fully non-guaranteed. NYK could waive Gibson to create cap space for Brunson or acquire Brunson via S&T. His NYK teammates have roundly praised Gibson over past 3 years.”
The Brunson deal hasn’t been announced by the Knicks yet, so there’s a possibility they are still working out the best way to open up the cap space for him.
New York could cut him and free up cap space that way, but if there are teams calling about acquiring him, they could instead decide to trade him away to a contender in need. Gibson has added an outside shot in his later years, so he provides a lot at this stage in his career. He shot 39.5 percent from three last season through 52 games.
On top of that, he can be a positive presence in a locker room, something that is greatly valued as evidenced by Udonis Haslem’s presence with the Heat all these years.
The Knicks probably won’t get a ton in return for Gibson, but it’s worth exploring a trade if one does materialize as they could at least get a draft pick.
Knicks Building Excitement
The New York Knicks answered one major question this offseason and it’s what will the future of the point guard position look like?
Signing Brunson is a huge step in the right direction, and if he’s able to build off his playoff performance from the Mavericks, the Knicks will be looking good.
On top of that, if RJ Barrett can continue his development into a star and if Julius Randle can find his All-NBA form again, the Knicks could certainly find themselves fighting for a playoff spot yet again.
The second part is important because Randle is entering a four-year, $117 million extension that will keep him in New York for the duration of Brunson’s contract. While Randle did have a down year last season, he did average 20/10/5, so he’s still productive.
If he’s able to slide in as a second or even third star, his skillset might shine a bit more. Of course, there’s no telling how Brunson is going to fit into the team until we see them on the court.
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