Taj Gibson turned in an impressive NBA career. His resume might not be decorated with All-Star appearances and titles--with his only accolade being All-Rookie in 2009--but he was the type of role player that teams enjoyed having in the mix.
During his Chicago Bulls days, Gibson was a steady contributor, seeing between 20 and 27 minutes off the bench. As he got deeper into his career, Gibson turned into the locker room guy. Someone that teams treated like an assistant with a uniform on, similar to how the Philadelphia 76ers rolled with Kyle Lowry last year.
Seeing as though Gibson plays in the frontcourt--a spot that the Sixers might be looking to add to when the timing is right--the 41-year-old couldn't be entirely ruled out as an option. However, his recent career move takes him off the table.
Taj Gibson makes his latest move
Back in February, Gibson signed a two-year deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. He finished out the 2025-2026 NBA season with them, but was recently included in a trade to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Pelicans weren't willing to keep Gibson on the roster. He was waived after the deal went through, making him a free agent. Days later, Gibson decided to call it a career.
Over 17 seasons, Gibson played for the Bulls, Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Detroit Pistons.
Gibson wrapped up his career by averaging 8.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game. He made 51.7% of his shots from the field, taking 6.7 attempts per game.
Now that Gibson has decided to hang up his sneakers, his next move is clear. He's not going away for long. The veteran center is going to land on the Chicago Bulls' bench, becoming an assistant coach for the recently hired Tiago Splitter.
The 76ers will potentially avoid a frustrating trend
No disrespect to Gibson, but he was one of the last players the 76ers should be looking at if the Adem Bona-Ariel Hukporti experiment calls for a new front addition. The 76ers' previous front office, run by Daryl Morey, had a frustrating history of adding older centers in free agency during the season.
DeAndre Jordan might still be a valuable presence for the Pelicans these days, but he was surely not embraced in the City of Brotherly Love. In 16 games with the Sixers, Jordan averaged 4.6 points and 5.8 rebounds. In the playoffs, he played in three games, posting 3.3 PPG and 2.3 RPG.
Dewayne Dedmon was another. In 2022-2023, the Sixers trotted out Dedmon for eight games. He averaged 3.5 points and 3.1 rebounds. Dedmon appeared in just one playoff game for five minutes that year.
Gibson was good for a team that needs a vocal leader. The Sixers have more than enough of that with guys like LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, and even Tyrese Maxey.
We don't know Mike Gansey's buyout market strategy yet, but one has to believe that Gibson would've been a consideration in previous years for the Sixers. After his latest move, Gibson won't even make himself available.
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