Knicks sign longtime Tom Thibodeau favorite

Oct 30, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Derrick Rose may not be around anymore, but the spirit of Tom Thibodeau’s old Chicago Bulls teams still lives on in New York.

Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that the Knicks are signing veteran big man Taj Gibson to a one-year deal. The 38-year-old Gibson is now set to see his first NBA action of the 2023-24 season.

The fit for the Knicks is pretty obvious. They recently lost an important big man to a multiple-month injury. Though center Isaiah Hartenstein is more than capable of filling in as a starter, raw third-year big Jericho Sims is the team’s next best option at the 5 position. Meanwhile, Gibson, a blue-collar veteran who has vast experience operating in a bench role, gives the win-now Knicks another alternative.

Gibson’s history helps a lot too. He played for the Knicks coach Thibodeau at both of Thibodeau’s previous head coaching stops (Chicago and Minnesota). Gibson had also already played on Thibodeau’s Knicks for two seasons from 2020-22. Now Thibodeau gets one of his favorite soldiers back, and Gibson gets another chance in the NBA, marking his 15th career season.