Detroit Pistons: The Reason Behind Taj Gibson Acquisition Revealed

Monty Williams explains the Detroit Pistons' decision to acquire Taj Gibson.

With the 2024 NBA Playoffs around the corner, the Detroit Pistons are ways away from competing for a spot in the postseason. With a 10-52 record, Detroit sits in the 14th seed of the Eastern Conference.

Still, that hasn’t stopped the Pistons from making moves in the free agency market down the stretch. Earlier this week, the Pistons announced the signing of the veteran center Taj Gibson.

According to the organization, Gibson is joining the Pistons on a 10-day deal, with his stint kicking in officially on Saturday night when the Pistons face the Dallas Mavericks.

Gibson’s timeline isn’t necessarily aligned with Detroit’s. Being that the 38-year-old veteran has been around the NBA since becoming a late first-round pick in 2009, a player like Gibson would typically hold out until a contender comes calling.

Perhaps the hope is still there, and Gibson is searching for an opportunity to showcase himself on a young and rebuilding Pistons team over the next handful of games.

As for Detroit, Pistons head coach Monty Williams recently explained the reasoning behind the acquisition.

“I just like having another veteran guy around our team,” Williams told Mike Curtis. "We look at Evan [Fournier] and how he’s had an impact on the floor and in some other areas. Taj is an example of how you handle your business on the court, it can pay dividends in other areas.”

Gibson brings plenty of experience to the table. Not only has he had runs with five different teams prior to the Pistons, but he has 961 regular season games and 71 postseason games under his belt. 

If any of the younger players need to pick the brain of a seasoned veteran — or just simply be around somebody who’s been in many different scenarios — then Gibson is a great example.

The veteran center joins the Pistons after a run with the New York Knicks earlier this year. He appeared in 16 games, averaging ten minutes on the court. If he gets inserted into the Pistons rotation on Saturday against the Mavs, He’ll see his first set of action since February 14, when he played nine minutes for the Knicks.