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Taj Gibson is back on the Knicks

Per the NY Post:

Their latest reunion skipped the emotions and went right into the brass tacks, in the Tom Thibodeau way.

“Thibs just gave me that look like, ‘Yo, you in shape?’ ” said Taj Gibson, officially signed by the Knicks on Friday to a one-year, nonguaranteed deal. “‘You know I can’t rock with you if you’re not in shape.’”

Gibson affirmed to his coach Friday that he’s well conditioned — a product of training by himself at the NBPA gym in Manhattan — but Thibodeau couldn’t resist busting chops, telling his 38-year-old center to run sprints with the guards.

“Then he says, ‘I’m joking with you,’” Gibson said. “He knows how to ruffle feathers.”

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Wizards re-sign Taj Gibson

The Washington Wizards have re-signed forward/center Taj Gibson.

“Taj has earned his reputation as a consummate professional and loyal teammate,” said Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins. “We look forward to him adding to the competitive atmosphere when we begin training camp next month.”

Gibson returns to the Wizards after averaging 3.4 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in 49 appearances (two starts) last season. He holds career averages of 8.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game in 945 games (449 starts) with Chicago, Oklahoma City, Minnesota, New York and Washington. The 14-year NBA veteran owns a career .518 field goal percentage and has shot at least .500 from the field in each of the past nine seasons (including a career-best .627 in 2020-21).

Wizards sign Taj Gibson

The Washington Wizards have signed 13-year NBA veteran forward/center Taj Gibson to a contract.

“Taj comes to us as a veteran big who will add toughness, experience and physicality to our team,” said Wizards President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “We know he will always be prepared and ready when we need him, giving us valuable depth in our frontcourt.”

It’s reportedly a one-year contract.

Gibson (6-9, 232) holds career averages of 9.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game in 896 games (447 starts) with the Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New York Knicks. Gibson has shot .518 from the field for his career and has shot at least 50 percent from the field in each of the past eight seasons, including a career-best .627 in 2020-21. In 52 games (four starts) with the Knicks last season, Gibson averaged 4.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting .518 from the field.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, the 37-year-old made his NBA debut in 2009 with Chicago and was named to the 2009-10 All-Rookie Team after averaging 9.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in 82 games. Gibson was the 26th overall selection of the 2009 NBA Draft out of USC, where he was the school’s all-time leader in blocks. During his career Gibson has been active in the community, such as co-hosting a rally with NYC to promote Black Lives Matter and gun control efforts in Bedford-Stuyvesant, leading a procession of hundreds of marchers down Fulton Street. He also hosted several host-a-family events and provided school supplies to at-need families in the Chicago area during his tenure with the Bulls.

Knicks re-sign Taj Gibson

The New York Knicks have re-signed center/forward Taj Gibson.

Gibson, 6-10, 232-pounds, originally signed with New York on July 8, 2019, and has appeared in 107 games (59 starts) for the Knicks, recording 5.8 points and 4.8 rebounds over 18.3 minutes. Last season, he averaged 5.4 points and 5.6 rebounds over 20.8 minutes in 45 regular season games (three starts) and 5.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in five postseason games (three starts).

Prior to New York, Gibson spent 10 seasons with Chicago, Oklahoma City and Minnesota. The 12-year veteran holds career averages of 9.3 points on 51.8-percent shooting, 6.2 rebounds and one assist over 24.9 minutes in 844 regular season games (443 starts). Additionally, Gibson has appeared in 71 postseason contests, averaging 7.8 points and 4.9 rebounds over 22.3 minutes.

He was originally selected by Chicago with the 26th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft after three seasons at the University of Southern California.

Timberwolves sign Taj Gibson

The Minnesota Timberwolves signed veteran forward Taj Gibson today. News of the agreement was reported earlier in free agency. The signing is now official.

Per multiple reports, the contract is for two years, $28 million.

Gibson, 32, reunites with Wolves President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Tom Thibodeau after spending five seasons with him in Chicago from 2010-15. Under Thibodeau’s tutelage, the 6-9 forward averaged 9.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 24.2 minutes per game over 352 contests (49 starts). He enjoyed a career year in 2013-14 when he posted averages of 13.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 82 contests, finishing second in the Kia Sixth Man Award voting.

Gibson adds seven years of playoff experience to the Wolves roster, including reaching the Eastern Conference Finals with Thibodeau and the Bulls in 2010-11. Over 61 career playoff games, including 12 starts, he has averaged 8.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 21.6 minutes per contest. Gibson’s best postseason came in 2013-14 when he averaged 18.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in five games.

Over his career, Gibson owns averages of 9.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 25.1 minutes per game in eight seasons between Chicago and Oklahoma City. He was named to the 2009-10 NBA All-Rookie First Team after being selected by the Bulls with the 26th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Timberwolves to add Taj Gibson

The Minnesota Timberwolves are making big moves this offseason. The latest adds nice depth to their frontcourt. Here’s the St Paul Pioneer Press:

Slowly, but surely, Tom Thibodeau is getting his old band back together.

Minnesota has agreed to a two-year, $28 million deal with free-agent forward Taj Gibson, a source confirmed. The deal can’t be signed until Thursday, per NBA rules.

Gibson, 32, played under Thibodeau for five years in Chicago. He provides needed depth to a front court that features Karl-Anthony Towns and Gorgui Dieng.

Thunder, Bulls trade Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott, Cameron Payne, Anthony Morrow, Joffrey Lauvergne

The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has acquired guards Cameron Payne and Anthony Morrow (MORE-roe), and center/forward Joffrey Lauvergne (LA-vern) from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for forwards Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round draft pick.

In his second year in the NBA, Payne (6-3, 185) is averaging 5.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 20 games played after missing 35 due to a right foot fracture and two to a D-League assignment with the Oklahoma City Blue. He has scored in double figures twice this season. In 77 career contests (one start), Payne holds averages of 5.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 13.2 minutes played. He has career shooting averages of .385 from the field, .319 from long range and .821 from the foul line.

In his ninth NBA season, Morrow (6-5, 210) has appeared in 40 games (seven starts) and is posting averages of 5.8 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 15.7 minutes per game. He is shooting .387 from the field, .294 from three and .885 from the line for the year. He has eight games with double-digit scoring, and a season high of 21 points vs. Detroit on Nov. 26. In 555 career contests (142 starts), Morrow is averaging 9.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 22.0 minutes. For his career, Morrow is shooting .447 overall, .417 from distance (5th among active players) and .878 from the stripe. In 2008-09, his three-point percentage of .467 ranked first in the league, and he has had five total seasons where his three-point percentage has ranked in the top 10.

In his third season in the NBA, Lauvergne (6-11, 220) is averaging 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists across 50 games this year while shooting .455 from the field, .346 from three and .638 from the charity stripe. He’s scored in double figures eight times with a season high of 17 points on Feb. 13 at Washington, which tied Russell Westbrook for the Thunder high in that game. In 133 career appearances (16 starts), Lauvergne is posting averages of 6.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists in 15.4 minutes played. He is shooting .480 from the field, .293 from distance and .755 from the line for his career. Lauvergne will be the fourth international player on the Bulls roster.

Gibson was selected by the Bulls with the 26th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He is averaging 11.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.91 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game this season and is shooting .521 from the field, .167 from three and .714 from the line.

In 562 career contests (229 starts) with Chicago, Gibson held averages of 9.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.24 blocks and shot .495 from the field and .694 from the stripe. Gibson ranks in the top-10 of several Bulls franchise leader categories, including games played (10th), offensive rebounds (sixth), defensive rebounds (ninth) and blocks (fifth). Gibson also appeared in 56 playoff games (seven starts) for the Bulls and averaged 8.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.16 blocks while shooting .499 overall and .691 at the free-throw line.

In his third season, McDermott is averaging 10.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist and 24.5 minutes in 44 games. McDermott is shooting .445 from the field, .376 from long range and .881 at the line. For his career, McDermott is posting averages of 8.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists and 20.2 minutes across 161 games (eight starts). He is shooting .445 overall, .399 from three and .849 from the foul line. In three career playoff games for Chicago, McDermott averaged 1.7 points in 3.3 minutes of action.

Taj Gibson mourns loss of 6-year-old cousin

Here’s the Chicago Tribune reporting on a tragedy in NYC:

Taj Gibson mourns loss of 6-year-old nephew

New York police have arrested a man wanted in connection with the weekend stabbings of two children, one fatally, in a Brooklyn apartment elevator, officials said on Wednesday.

Daniel St. Hubert, 27, was arrested on Wednesday night in the borough of Queens. Hubert was wanted for the killing of 6-year-old Prince Joshua Avitto and the stabbing assault of 7-year-old Mikayla Capers, who were out buying ice cream on Sunday evening when they were attacked, officials said.

Avitto is the cousin of Chicago Bulls power forward Taj Gibson.

Gibson posted a photo of his cousin to Instagram saying: “They killed my lil super man. #rippj only two more weeks until your 7 birthday. Tears forever…this can’t be life #foreversuperman #babycuzz”