The Washington Wizards are not done finalizing their roster. They strengthened their frontcourt rotation by signing Taj Gibson to a one-year, $3.2 million contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. This is a move that makes sense for the Wizards for a variety of reasons.
Free agent F Taj Gibson is returning to the Washington Wizards on a one-year, $3.2M contract, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. At 38, this will be Gibson’s 15th NBA season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 15, 2023
First of all, the Wizards needed more frontcourt options. The only two traditional centers on the roster were Daniel Gafford and Mike Muscala. And how “traditional” Muscala is as a big man is debatable. A defense-first third-string center was needed to step in in case of injury or foul problem. As a player who knows the franchise and has 14 years of NBA experience, Gibson is an excellent option in that role.
Gibson is 38 years old and is obviously past his prime. He presumably can’t play too many games or minutes. Last season in Washington, he played 9.8 minutes per game in 49 appearances. He is going to have a small role off the bench. But even in limited playing time, he should have the ability to anchor the defense with his communication, discipline, and positional awareness. This should continue to prove helpful for the development of young players, especially Daniel Gafford.
However, his impact will be even more felt off the court than on. Gibson is known as a consummate professional and a veteran who likes to lead by example. There is a reason he was one of discipline-obsessed Tom Thibodeau’s favorite players ever. Plus, Gibson will be the most experienced Wizard on the roster, having played in over 1000 games in the NBA, regular season, and playoffs combined. He has more playoff games than any other Wizards player and that should prove valuable on a young, inexperienced team.
Every young, rebuilding team needs good veterans. And there aren’t too many better veterans than Taj Gibson. In fact, as long as Gibson wants to stick around and lead by example in Washington, having him in a Udonis Haslem-type role for the Wizards may not be a bad idea.
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