The New York Knicks' frontcourt depth was already lacking before Julius Randle dislocated his right shoulder. With the trade deadline looming, the front office opted for a short-term solution to keep the Knicks afloat over the next week and a half.
On Tuesday morning, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that New York was signing Taj Gibson to a 10-day contract. The Knicks signed Gibson to a non-guaranteed deal in December after Mitchell Robinson got hurt but waived him before his contract became fully guaranteed. It didn't take long for the front office to bring him back.
He’s back! Free agent F/C Taj Gibson is signing a 10-day contract with the New York Knicks, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/uaz5H876sh
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 30, 2024
Gibson certainly isn't a bad option for New York to have on the bench while the front office explores the moves it could make before the Feb. 8 deadline.
Knicks sign Taj Gibson to a 10-day contract after Julius Randle injury
New York fans won't have to wait long to see Gibson (again), as the Knicks are on the second half of a back-to-back and will host the Jazz on Tuesday night. Don't be surprised if Tom Thibodeau throws Gibson into the mix right away in an effort to contain Utah's bigs.
If New York is in the middle of an injury crisis and Gibson is available, it should be assumed that he will be a Knick. The 38-year-old re-signed with the Wizards over the offseason but was waived before the 2023-24 season began. Since then, he's played in 10 games for the Knicks and should add to that total over the next 10 days.
Before December, there was a lot of speculation about Gibson retiring and potentially joining New York's coaching staff. While that could be his future route, he still has some run in him. It also probably helps that it's a sure bet that Thibodeau and the Knicks always find a way to sign Gibson, so in a sense, he has some job security.