Back like he never left. Following a shoulder injury to Julius Randle, the New York Knicks announced prior to Tuesday’s game against the Utah Jazz that they signed veteran forward Taj Gibson to a 10-day contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Gibson has been brought back for his third stint with New York in just two years, though his stay may not last for long if the minimal 10-day contract was not already an indication of that.
Gibson is entering yet another stint with the Knicks
The 38-year-old power forward saw limited playing time when the Knicks first signed him earlier this season after the loss of Mitchell Robinson to ankle surgery.
He was then waived on Jan. 7, and while he is back with the franchise now, it is unlikely he will receive any significant minutes with Isaiah Hartenstein and Precious Achiuwa holding down the frontcourt in Randle’s absence.
SNY’s Ian Begley hinted on X that the Knicks could, theoretically, end Gibson’s 10-day contract early to open up a roster spot for someone they acquire in a trade. The Knicks have been rumored to be big buyers at the trade deadline, with players like Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon and Pistons guard Bojan Bogdanovic at the forefront of those rumors.
The signing should have no true on-court impact
Therefore, it would appear that signing Gibson was simply to fill in a roster spot while Randle rehabs from a dislocated shoulder, which is expected to keep him out of action for several weeks.
Inevitably, it brings back a fan favorite to a charged Knicks team that went 14-2 in the month of January, the best record in the NBA over that span.
More must-reads: