NBA: Taj Gibson rejoining Knicks, reuniting with Thibodeau

Taj Gibson #67 of the New York Knicks reacts during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on March 22, 2022 in New York City. Michelle Farsi/Getty Images/AFP

NEW YORK — Taj Gibson is returning to the New York Knicks, reuniting coach Tom Thibodeau with one of his trusted veteran players.

Priority Sports, which represents Gibson, posted on social media Wednesday that the Brooklyn product was heading home to play for the Knicks, who are in need of big man help after starting center Mitchell Robinson was lost for at least two months with a stress fracture in his left ankle.

Gibson played for the Knicks from 2019-22, helping them return to the postseason in 2021 after a seven-year absence. He then spent one season with the Washington Wizards.

The 38-year-old Gibson, a first-round pick in the 2009 draft, previously played for Thibodeau in Chicago and Minnesota. He has career averages of 8.7 points and 5.9 rebounds.