Let’s Make A Deal: Oklahoma City Need To Find A Way To Keep Taj Gibson
Taj Gibson was a hit in his three month stint as a member of the Thunder, and they need to keep him — if the price is right.
Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott represent another piece of Sam Presti’s good business. At the 2017 trade deadline, the Thunder shipped the disappointing Cameron Payne, pending free agent and locker room leader Anthony Morrow and soon to be restricted free agent Joffrey Lauvergne for sporadic gunner McDermott and Chicago cult hero Gibson.
Yet again the General Manager of the small market Franchise that could had made a deal that seemed unfathomable to most — the trade made sense for them of course, but what were the Bulls thinking. Three months later for Chicago, it doesn’t look any better:
McDermott was certainly inconsistent but earned his minutes, and Gibson’s minutes per game were surprisingly low. Perhaps it was hesitance to take confidence away from Domantas Sabonis, perhaps it was an eye to the future — either way it can actually be argued that the veteran was under utilized in his stay with the Thunder.
Gibson was particularly superb in the Playoffs, and his best game for the Thunder was in game three when he dropped 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting. He finished with 60 percent shooting for the entire series, and his versatility in being able to be switched onto James Harden was vital to the Thunder sustaining a defensive game plan against the Houston maestro.
His chemistry with defensive quarterback Andre Roberson was particularly noticeable, as they were able to easily make adjustments to the Rockets’ pick-and-roll heavy system. They would post a net rating of +15.8 per 100 possessions together on the floor in the losing series, after posting a rating of +9.9 in the regular season. That was the best mark of any 2-man group on the Thunder roster that played heavy minutes.
Gibson’s bond with fellow big Steven Adams was also vital to the big man’s revival after he struggled through parts of the regular season. In the Rockets series they posted an on-court net rating of +21.7 points per 100 possessions which was the Thunder’s most reliable 2-man pairing. Adams struggled with the burden of trying to make up for the rim protection that the team lost when Serge Ibaka and Kevin Durant departed this summer.
The former Bulls big man took pressure off the Kiwi, and his experience and guidance seemed to work wonders for him. Their games also blend well, with Gibson’s midrange and post game a good blend with Adams’ post work and pick-and-roll play.
His post-play became something of a bailout for the sometimes stuttering Thunder offense, and his bag of old-school tricks would often fool defenders not as well versed in post defense as they should be. Gibson turned Ryan Anderson into his rag-doll in game three, working him over-and-over. Turning the age of 32 in October, Gibson has suffered wear and tear from constant injuries but he still has situational use for the Thunder.
That’s where his future becomes a point of interest. Was he exactly that in Oklahoma City, a situational player seen as merely a rental before his free agency? Or can he be convinced that he is a perfect cultural fit for the Thunder and vice versa? If so, what does that look like.
A player of Gibson’s caliber could earn serious dollars in the modern market, and the players in his range statistically perhaps offer an insight to what he might be looking at this summer, which is rumored to be in the $12–15 million range barring a crazy offer from a team with money to burn:
A variety of players, but a marker for where Gibson and his representatives might be approaching this summer. Nobody can blame a player for seeking money; life is short and basketball is also a business. Does Gibson want to chase a title, does he think that’s in Oklahoma City? Would he take the same route as Williams and Morris, who took discounts to sign their current deals?
These are all unanswered questions, but not something that can be counted out. He’s coming out of a four-year, $33 million deal signed with Chicago in 2013. A payday in the modern NBA could be very tempting, and the forward has earned it.
In Oklahoma City Gibson would be the starting Power Forward on an improving Thunder squad. Perhaps like Russell Westbrook’s potential extension, his situation will be dictated by what plans Sam Presti can reveal to them in an attempt to get them to commit.
He could be a veteran presence and top level defender on a young, developing and talented Thunder team, but at the same time a very important player. Gibson’s ability to slide comfortably into a role as a small ball five or a bruise brother for Adams in the front court is intriguing as the New Zealander gets better and better, and his timeline could fit well into where the team is heading during Westbrook’s peak.
“The goal is to try to come back here,” Gibson said during his exit interview following the Playoffs. “There’s gonna be teams out there, but you never know what’s gonna happen,” Gibson said. “Anything can happen. But I wanted to let Sam know I wanted to be here.”
Anything north of $12 million might mean the Thunder cannot push the boat out for their newly beloved forward, or an opposing offer that goes out to a fourth season (when he will be approaching his 36th birthday), but Oklahoma City should be doing whatever they can to talk Gibson into an extended stay in the Sooner State.
So now — what’s it going to take Taj?
All statistics are from NBA.com or Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise stated.
