LAS VEGAS — Taj Gibson’s eventful stint with the Knicks over.
The veteran center was waived by New York on Friday and, according to the Athletic, plans to sign with the Wizards.
Gibson, a longtime favorite of coach Tom Thibodeau, played three consecutive seasons with the Knicks and was a reliable cog in the center carousel, even starting in three of the team’s five playoff games last year. His $5 million team option for next season wasn’t picked up, however, which was expected after the Knicks inked three centers — Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims — to multi-year deals.
Despite the report of Gibson’s commitment to the Wizards, his agent, Mark Bartelstein, cautioned that “nothing has been decided yet.”
If he does sign in Washington, Gibson will finally get a chance to play alongside Kristaps Porzingis — the power forward who was traded by the Knicks during Gibson’s first season in New York.
Gibson, a Brooklyn native who grew up a Knicks fan, expressed during last season that he hoped to return.
“God willing, but we’ll see what happens,” Gibson said. “Right now I can only focus on what I can control. … This is a great job. I’m a professional. I’m just going to continue to keep enjoying it.”
Gibson, one of the NBA’s oldest active players at 37, has also said he wants to eventually transition to coaching.
“I think he’d be great,” Thibodeau said last season. “He wants to play as long as he can, but I think he’d be terrific.”
