You knew that it was coming. On Friday afternoon, the New York Knicks officially waived beloved veteran Taj Gibson, which cleared up a little less than $5.2 million in cap space.
The Jalen Brunson signing hasn’t yet been made official, and waiving Gibson was done to make additional space for the point guard and his four-year, $104 million deal.
The 37-year-old spent the past three seasons in New York. He played in 159 games for the Knicks and averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 57.7% from the field and 32.8% from the 3-point line.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, “multiple teams” have shown interest in Gibson. And shortly after it was announced that New York waived him, Shams Charania reported that once Gibson clears waivers on Sunday, he’s expected to sign with the Washington Wizards.
Knicks Twitter reacts to veteran Taj Gibson being waived
Once the news was made official, reactions and tributes began to pour in via Twitter.
Gibson not only brings a strong veteran presence to the locker room, but he can still play, too. He’ll be a solid addition for Washington.
Tom Thibodeau coached Gibson in Chicago, Minnesota, and New York. For the first time since being named the Knicks’ head coach in 2020, Thibodeau will be without Gibson.
With such a young roster in New York, Gibson’s presence will be sorely missed. It was thought that maybe he would re-sign with the Knicks on a minimum deal, but instead, he’s going to be playing for his third Eastern Conference team.
He’ll soon get to call Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma, and yes, even Kristaps Porzingis, his teammates. Wizards fans might not yet realize it fully, but they’re getting a great one.
And when Gibson is ready to retire, it’d be nice to see him back home on the sideline in New York. Until then, best of luck, Taj.
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