2017 NBA free agency grades: Minnesota Timberwolves will sign Taj Gibson
After a franchise-altering trade for Jimmy Butler and a pending point guard signing in Jeff Teague, the Timberwolves will sign Taj Gibson to fill out their frontcourt.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were projected to be a potential playoff team last season. Some even went as far as to predict 50 wins for the team.
While those playoff predictions were premature, the Wolves are ready for a playoff berth next season after trading for Jimmy Butler on draft night. They furthered those hopes on Sunday by filling out the last piece in their starting lineup in Taj Gibson.
As reported by The Vertical‘s Shams Charania, Minnesota has agreed to sign the veteran power forward to a two-year, $28 million deal.
Free agent Taj Gibson has agreed to a two-year, $28M deal with Minnesota, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2017
Taj Gibson, another former Thibodeau Bull, will slot right in alongside Karl-Anthony Towns. He provides defensive tenacity at power forward and will be another veteran voice in the Minnesota locker room.
Gibson started 71 of his 78 games last season between the Chicago Bulls and the Oklahoma City Thunder. He averaged 10.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game for the season. He also posted an excellent Defensive Real Plus-Minus of 2.02, per ESPN.
Critics might pan the Gibson signing as a Thibodeau loyalty move. However, Gibson fits in quite well alongside Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of Minnesota’s starting five. He might not provide the shooting that one could hope for from a stretchier 4, but Towns provides plenty of shooting himself.
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Furthermore, this signing is a clear indication that Thibs is looking to focus the team’s energy on the defensive end of the floor. He probably was screaming internally (as well as externally, because he’s Thibs) about Minnesota’s 26th-ranked Defensive Rating last season. With Gibson and Butler in the fold, Thibodeau will now have two veteran leaders to coach the defense on the floor while he takes care of the off-the-floor work.
Given Thibodeau’s love for two-big lineups, he may opt to start Gorgui Dieng and bring Gibson off the bench. Dieng is an underrated defender with size and decent mobility for a center. He actually ranked higher than Gibson in Defensive Real Plus-Minus.
If Gibson does end up coming off the bench, that would allow Thibodeau to mix and match between his three big men. Dieng would often get in the way of Towns offensively last season. While Gibson does not provide much floor spacing, he is a solid offensive rebounder who will set good screens and never complain about a lack of touches.
The length of the contract is also a boon for the Timberwolves. Gibson turned 32 just before the start of free agency. This short-term deal will give the team a way out if his production falls off a cliff. Furthermore, the deal expires just as the Timberwolves will need to work out an extension with Karl-Anthony Towns. If they need to free up some extra money to make that work, Gibson will come off the books just in time.
Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far
The Timberwolves filled out their starting five with a great fit at power forward on a deal that gives them a lot of future flexibility. This contract was about far more than Thibodeau re-uniting his old Bulls team. The main aim of the deal was to give their team another veteran defensive piece. They did so while remaining flexible for the future.
Grade: B+