Taj Gibson has made a strong impression on the Detroit Pistons in a short span of time. His stay with the franchise has now been extended.

The 38-year-old has been signed through the rest of the season, a team source confirmed to the Free Press on Friday. Gibson initially signed a 10-day deal with the Pistons on March 6, and the 15-year veteran has embraced his responsibilities as a mentor, particularly for the young bigs.

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“It’s like having another veteran guy around our team,” Monty Williams said. “We look at Evan (Fournier) and how he’s had an impact on the floor and some other areas, and Taj is somebody that I told the guys today, how you handle your business throughout your career can pay dividends for you later on. He’s a 15, 16-year guy that I coached against for a while, and just used to drive me nuts the way he would terrorize our bigs. But he played the right way.”

Detroit got younger at the trade deadline, and 31-year-old Fournier was the Pistons' only player older than 28 before Gibson's arrival. Gibson, who stands 6 feet 9, first became acquainted with Troy Weaver, the Pistons' current general manager, in 2017, who was an assistant GM with the Oklahoma City Thunder when they acquired Gibson from the Chicago Bulls.

Weaver sought after Gibson earlier in the season, but wasn't able to sign him until Mike Muscala's buyout created an open roster spot. Gibson, drafted by the Bulls in 2009, has essentially become an extension of the coaching staff. He has been a loud voice during practices and has worked closely with James Wiseman.

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“It’s awesome, man,” Gibson said. “We work out every day, competitive. But the beautiful thing about it is everybody wants to get better. And I’m here to try to get guys better. Whatever you need, call me — at night, anytime. I’m in the gym with you. Need an extra run, extra sprint, I’m there. It’s just about getting better.”

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.

Next up: Heat

Matchup: Pistons (12-54) vs. Miami (36-30).

Tipoff: 3 p.m. Sunday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.

TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons sign mentoring veteran Taj Gibson for rest of season