2019 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Taj Gibson: 2 years, $20 million (New York Knicks)
Taj Gibson has agreed to a two-year, $20M deal with the Knicks, agent Mark Bartelstein tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2019
It’s a bit strange the New York Knicks seem so fixated on the power forward position, especially after already signing Julius Randle. Going out and adding Bobby Portis, after already agreeing to a two-year deal with Taj Gibson, seems curious on paper as well.
However, as easy as it is to slander the Knicks for missing out on the summer’s crop of elite free agents, we have to cut them some slack here. This team needed frontcourt depth, and from a quick glance at its extremely young and unseasoned roster, it also needed an injection of legitimate NBA talent.
Gibson is exactly that, and even at 34 years old, he’ll still be useful on the court at the 4 or as a backup 5 in small-ball lineups. He posted a respectable 9.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last year, and even as his game starts to decline, he’ll be a valuable mentor in the locker room. Throw in that this two-year deal — and Portis’ two-year deal, along with Randle’s three-year deal that has a team option for year 3 — and the Knicks are preserving flexibility for another stacked free agency pool in 2021.
Grade: B