Taj Gibson Withdrew Before the Contract Guaranteed Date.

On Sunday, the New York Knicks confirmed that veteran big Taj Gibson would be waived.

According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, the move gives New York greater flexibility before the trade deadline because it will allow them to execute two-for-one or three-for-two transactions. Teams are allowed to have a maximum of 15 players on their roster. Today, Gibson’s contract would have been certain.

In just 10 games this season, the 39-year-old has averaged a career-low 1.4 points per game while only averaging roughly 10 minutes per game.

Gibson entered the NBA in 2009 fresh out of USC and has since become a mainstay on teams coached by Tom Thibodeau. Gibson was a Chicago Bulls player under Thibodeau from 2010 to 2015, then from 2017 to 2019, he was a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

2019–2022 was Gibson’s first tenure with New York; Thibodeau became head coach in 2020. Before agreeing to a one-year contract with the Knicks in December, Gibson played for the Washington Wizards the previous season. The big man was recruited by New York to provide the team with additional paint depth in the wake of Mitchel Robinson’s ankle surgery-related injury.

The Knicks, who are 21-15 and in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference, have already engaged in trade activity, sending OG Anunonoby, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for a 2024 second-round selection.

alongside greater space on the roster now, New York should look to add a player to go alongside Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson in order to support a deep playoff run.