Pelicans Waive Taj Gibson

Gibson was sent from Memphis to New Orleans as part of the four-player trade completed by the Grizzlies and Pelicans on Tuesday. The 17-year NBA veteran was included in that deal for cap purposes and was awarded a partial guarantee worth $148,828 so that the Grizzlies could use him as a salary-matching piece. The Pelicans will be on that hook for that money, but not for the remainder of his $3,815,861 salary.

Gibson, 41, wasn’t in the NBA to open the 2025/26 season but caught on with the Grizzlies in February, serving as a veteran mentor on a young roster during the final six-plus weeks of the second half. After signing a two-year, minimum-salary deal that included a non-guaranteed second season, he appeared in 10 games for Memphis down the stretch, averaging 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per night.

Will Guillory of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that Gibson would be cut by New Orleans but that the team intends to hang onto newly acquired swingman AJ Johnson to assess his potential fit.

Following Gibson’s release, the Pelicans have 13 players – including Johnson – on guaranteed contracts, one (Trendon Watford) with a partial guarantee, three on non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deals, and three on two-way pacts, for a total of 20 players. Bennedict Mathurin is expected to fill the final spot on the 21-man offseason roster when he officially signs a two-year, $16MM contract with the club.

As for Gibson, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on Friday, assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers. He’ll be ineligible to return to the Grizzlies but could sign with any other NBA team.