Knicks signing Taj Gibson after Mitchell Robinson’s ankle injury in latest reunion with coach Tom Thibodeau
Robinson underwent surgery on his ankle and is expected to miss 8-10 weeks recovering
Tom Thibodeau is bringing in a familiar face to help the New York Knicks.
The Knicks reached a deal to bring in free-agent center Taj Gibson on a guaranteed deal for the rest of the season Wednesday, his agent told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Gibson and Thibodeau will now work together for a fourth time in their careers.
The move to sign Gibson comes days after Knicks center Mitchell Robinson underwent surgery on his left ankle. Robinson, who went down during their loss to the Boston Celtics last week, is expected to miss 8-10 weeks recovering from the surgery. Robinson, 25, was averaging a career-low 6.2 points and a career-high 10.3 rebounds per game before he went down.
Gibson most recently played for the Washington Wizards last season, where he averaged 3.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in nearly 10 minutes per game off the bench. The 38-year-old has been a free agent ever since.
Gibson was first selected by the Chicago Bulls with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2009 draft, which is where he first worked with Thibodeau. He also played under Thibodeau when he led the Minnesota Timberwolves and with the Knicks, where he spent three seasons until landing in Washington. In total, Gibson has averaged 8.7 points and 5.9 rebounds throughout his career. Thibodeau is in his fourth season with the Knicks, and holds a 138-120 record there.
Though Robinson will almost certainly retake his starting role with the Knicks when he returns later this season, Gibson will attempt to hold the Knicks down inside until then.
The Knicks hold a 13-9 record this season headed into Wednesday’s game against the Utah Jazz. They’ve won four of their last six, and sit four games back of the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics.
