Knicks Ex Taj Gibson to Sign with Wizards

The Knicks released the 13-year veteran after putting some effort into seeing if a trade could be made.

Free-agent center Taj Gibson, released this week by the New York Knicks, has a new gig.

He plans to sign a one-year contract with the Washington Wizards, per his agency, Priority Sports.

The Knicks released the 13-year veteran after putting some effort into seeing if a trade could be made.

According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, Gibson will sign for the minimum exception. Gibson will earn $2.9 million but only $1.8 million will count against the Wizards' salary cap.

Gibson, who turned 37 last month, spent parts of the last three seasons with the team. He'll now reportedly play for the minimum exception, earning $2.9 million.

Gibson originally starred at Brooklyn's High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology after growing up in Fort Greene. He then moved to USC where he built a resume that led to the Chicago Bulls selecting him with the 26th pick of the 2009 draft.

After eight seasons in Chicago, Gibson worked with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves before originally joining the Knicks in July 2019. He was waived by New York in November 2020 but later rejoined them in the following January before signing a two-year deal worth $10.1 million ($4.9 guaranteed) seven months later. Playing in New York reunited him with head coach Tom Thibodeau, who oversaw a majority of his NBA career between stints in Chicago and Minnesota.

Over 159 games with the Knicks, Gibson averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds. He also partook in the team's brief playoff trip in 2021, putting up averages of five points and 3.8 rebounds over those five games. He has already reportedly drawn some potential suitors that have been hungry for veteran help in the paint.

Gibson's release from the second year of his contract will save the Knicks just over $5.1 million in cap space. While there had been recent trade talk, somehow and some way he was likely became expendable upon the Knicks' efforts to revamp their interior game, which welcomed back Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims while welcoming Isaiah Hartenstein from the Los Angeles Clippers. New York has already locked up expensive point guard Jalen Brunson but lingers in the discussion for other big-name talents like Donovan Mitchell.