Knicks sign up for a reunion with Gibson
After discussing reunions with big men Taj Gibson and Tyson Chandler, the Knicks have settled on the one with multi-team ties to coach Tom Thibodeau.
The 6-foot-9 Gibson, who played for Thibodeau in Chicago and Minnesota, re-signed with the Knicks, the team announced Thursday, after they declined his $10 million team option in November. The Knicks have opened the season 5-3 despite operating with razor-thin depth up front due injuries to rookie Obi Toppin, Nerlens Noel and Omari Spellman, but they waived Spellman on Thursday to facilitate Gibson’s return.
According to a person close to Gibson, 35, he’s been in Los Angeles since the start of the season and has worked out for seven teams, including the Wizards. The shortened free agency didn’t help Gibson as teams filled up their rosters quickly.
“He’s in shape,” the person said. “There’s no hard feelings. He knows it’s a business.”
According to an NBA source, the Knicks also had held internal talks about bringing back Chandler, a key to their 2012-13 team that won the Atlantic Division when current assistant Mike Woodson was head coach.
Gibson, a Brooklyn native who has donated a lot of money to his old Fort Greene neighborhood, was a good influence on Mitchell Robinson last season. He started 56 games despite averaging 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds.
The Knicks had $18 million in cap space before jettisoning Spellman, who holds a salary-cap hit of $1.99 million this season.
Spellman, obtained last month in a deal with Minnesota, played four minutes in a preseason game before the former Villanova power forward hurt his knee. He was out until Wednesday night, when he was active but did not play. He didn’t report to the Knicks in good shape.
Noel lost the starting job in preseason to Robinson and has missed the past two games. He suffered knee and ankle injuries and was a late scratch in Atlanta on Sunday without being on the injury report. He also missed the game Wednesday.
There have been rumors of Noel being unhappy — which he responded to on Twitter as erroneous. However, he and super-agent Rich Paul mutually parted ways last month.
According to a source, Noel has been disenchanted with his recent contracts after once turning down a four-year, $70 million contract from Dallas when he was with another agency. After two nice seasons in Oklahoma City, Noel signed a oneyear, $5 million deal with the Knicks in November.
Despite their strong start, the Knicks have needed another big body with Julius Randle averaging a league-high 38.6 minutes per game. Toppin was injured in the season opener and could be 1½ weeks from a return.
➤ Alec Burks (ankle), Frank Ntilikina (knee) and Toppin (calf) remain out for Friday’s game against the Thunder. Noel (ankle/ knee) is questionable, and Reggie Bullock (knee) and Kevin Knox (knee) are probable.