Pistons sign veteran big Taj Gibson to 10-day contract

The Detroit Pistons have added another former New York Knick to their rotation.

The Pistons announced Wednesday the signing of veteran big man Taj Gibson to a 10day contract, on Wednesday morning. Gibson, one of the oldest players in the NBA at 38, will join the young frontcourt alongside Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart and James Wiseman.

Gibson is the latest entry into the revolving door of big men on the roster outside of the three young players who have been mainstays in Duren, Stewart and Wiseman.

The shuffle began in January, when the team traded Marvin Bagley III to the Wizards alongside Isaiah Livers and a second-round pick for Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari, two more frontcourt options who were subsequently bought out of their contracts in Detroit, leaving them open to sign with contenders.

In February, the Pistons reshaped the rest of the roster with a series of trade deadline moves, including a blockbuster with the Knicks that sent out Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks in exchange for Quinten Grimes, Malachi Flynn and Evan Fournier.

Gibson appeared in 16 games this season as a reserve option for the Knicks, who signed him as frontcourt depth after starting center Mitchell Robinson went down with a season-ending injury. He first signed with the Knicks in December but was waived after 10 games before his contract became guaranteed. He signed two more 10-day contracts with the Knicks in January and February, but was not retained after his most recent stretch with the team that ended on Feb. 20.

The 14-year veteran made a name for himself as a reliable defensive option for every team he played for during his career, primarily with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Knicks. Gibson, one of the favorites of Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, earned a reputation for defensive prowess while being an iron man, playing all 82 games three times in his career.

It is unclear what Gibson’s immediate role with the team will be on the court over the next 10 days, at the least, as the team continues to figure out rotations and minutes for the newlyshaped roster for the final stretch of the season. Against the Miami Heat on Tuesday, Duren and Stewart both logged over 30 minutes, while James Wiseman played 16 off the bench. Simone Fontecchio, one of the main deadline acquisitions, also filled in at forward off the bench, scoring 22 points in 29 minutes.

Gibson, who is averaging 1.0 points and 1.8 rebounds in 16 games this year, will be a veteran voice for the young bigs on the roster for however long he is in Detroit and has experience anchoring top-level defenses throughout his career in Chicago, Minnesota and New York.

ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski was first to report the signing on Wednesday.