Report: Ex-Wolves PF Taj Gibson, Knicks Agree on 2-Year, $20M Contract

Veteran forward Taj Gibson agreed to terms on a two-year, $20 million deal with the New York Knicks, his agent confirmed to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Gibson is the second frontcourt player with whom the Knicks have secured a commitment on the first day of NBA free agency. According to Wojnarowski, Julius Randle will sign a three-year, $63 million contract.

Little went right for the Minnesota Timberwolves last year. The Jimmy Butler trade saga doomed them right out of the gate, and they never recovered from the drama he sparked or the void he created by his departure.

Minnesota finished 11th in the Western Conference, 12 games back of the Los Angeles Clippers for the eighth seed.

Gibson was among the few players who delivered on expectations.

The 34-year-old continued to be an effective presence inside for the Timberwolves in 2018-19. He averaged 10.8 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 56.6 percent from the field. He expanded his range a bit too, connecting on a career-high 11 three-pointers.

Gibson's numbers are even more impressive when factoring in he played his fewest minutes (24.1 per game) since 2012-13. According to Basketball Reference, he scored 21.4 points and collected 13.0 boards per 100 possessions.

Taj Gibson Throws it Down

Given his age, some level of decline is probably on the horizon and that was already beginning on defense in 2018-19.

Gibson was 33rd among power forwards in defensive real plus-minus (plus-0.57) two seasons ago, per ESPN.com. He slipped to 63rd (plus-0.24) this past year. According to NBA.com, he also had a career-worst 110.5 defensive rating and allowed opponents to shoot 64.7 percent inside six feet.

New York largely knows what it's getting with Gibson. He's a solid inside scorer and rebounder, and it's probably too late in the game for him to radically change his offensive repertoire. Perhaps he can remake himself as a floor-spacer, but he'll more likely continue to operate close to the basket and in the mid-range.

His defense is concerning, but it provides the only real source of risk for this move.

The obvious question is why the Knicks would plan to sign Gibson along with Randle. They play the same position and neither is particularly adept at stretching the floor. Randle was a 34.4 percent three-point shooter with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2018-19.

Free agency has just begun and it's already shaping up to be a big disappointment for Knicks fans.