Kofi Inkoom
The Detroit Pistons are reportedly finalizing a 10-day contract with veteran center Taj Gibson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Gibson, aged 38, spent part of this season with the New York Knicks after signing a non-guaranteed deal with them in December.
However, he was waived on January 7 before his contract could become fully guaranteed. Despite returning to the Knicks on two 10-day contracts in January and February, the team opted not to offer him a rest-of-season contract when the second deal expired.
Gibson’s value at this stage of his career lies more in his veteran leadership and locker room presence, which is likely why the Pistons are interested in adding him to their young roster.
Although he played in 16 games for the Knicks, his stats were modest, averaging 1.0 point and 1.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game.
The Pistons recently freed up two roster spots by waiving Mike Muscala and Shake Milton, leaving them with only 13 players on standard contracts.
Even with the addition of Gibson, they will still have one spot open on their 15-man roster. Gibson is set to earn $183,704 during his 10 days with Detroit, while the team will incur a cap hit of $116,075.
If the deal is finalized on Wednesday or Thursday, he will be available for the Pistons’ next five games before the team must decide whether to keep him or release him.