After the New Orleans Pelicans acquired Taj Gibson in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, they waived him. For a moment, a familiar door seemed wide open. Could Gibson return to the Knicks — for the third time in his lengthy NBA career — to help address their need for a third-string center behind Karl-Anthony Towns and offseason acquisition Andre Drummond?
That question was answered quickly. That answer is, and will be, no. The reason, however, should put a smile on the faces of Knick fans everywhere.
After 17 seasons as an NBA player, Gibson started this week off by officially announcing his retirement. The Brooklynite played for too many organizations to shout them all out, but made sure to mention the team that drafted him with the 26th overall selection in 2009. Shortly after, the news that Gibson would be joining those very Chicago Bulls as an assistant on new head coach Tiago Splitter's staff brought it all full circle.
Knicks will bittersweetly have to turn attention away from Coach Taj
Tom Thibodeau is no longer the Knicks' head coach, but Leon Rose was the President of Basketball Operations during both of Gibson's stints with the organization. Those connections don't disappear, and Gibson's free agency cleared a potential path to a reunion in New York.
With the big man transitioning careers, though, he's obviously off of the table as a potential Knick center. Rose's front office has reportedly been monitoring other veteran options. SNY's Ian Begley said recently that they've had eyes on Drew Eubanks throughout the offseason.
The scribe also reported that the team has a high level of internal confidence in Towns and Drummond. Whether it comes from genuine faith or an organizational acknowledgement that none of the remaining free agent options are necessarily jumping off of the page, it does imply that the team isn't planning on relying very heavily on their eventual addition at the center spot — if they make one.
After all, the Knicks could very well opt to sign someone like John Konchar — who reportedly also has fans within their front office — who doesn't play forward or center at all.
If Rose's front office doesn't want to force themselves into a center signing, feeling that it would be a better utilization of their final regular roster spot to look elsewhere, they certainly have the freedom to do so.
They just have to be okay with the reality that OG Anunoby, whose health is occasionally of concern, is effectively their only other option at center.
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