Celtics among teams that should line up to steal Taj Gibson from the Bulls
The guy just makes teams better, comes with zero baggage, and Chicago tends to underpay
By
Matt Moore
•
1 min read
On one hand, Taj Gibson's humility and perspective is refreshing. On the other, you wonder if the guy is ever going to go out and get the kind of contract he deserves. Gibson is making $8.95 million this year. Even before the NBA's explosion of salary cap money, that was a huge bargain. Gibson has averaged an above-standard PER in five of the last six seasons and is a top-flight defender.
He should be in line for a huge payday this summer, but two things to keep in mind: One, the Bulls are notorious for squeezing every single nickel from their free agents. They tend to keep their guys... they just make sure that the deal comes out as a positive for them. Two, Gibson wants to return.
Gibson told the Chicago Tribune that "of course" he wants to stay in Chicago. Gibson likes the stability, and humility is a really big deal with him. He's said as recently as last season that he still gets nervous before NBA games.
Here's how this is most likely going to go down given the parties involved. Gibson will hit free agency. The Bulls will keep negotiating with Gibson. Gibson will have telegraphed that he wants to stay in Chicago, so other teams won't make signing him a priority. That will give the Bulls leverage which they will use to get a bargain on Gibson. Gibson will take a deal worth less than his market value after a protracted and frustrating negotiating experience, and the Bulls will once again get a high-value player who makes their team better on both ends for under market value.
But they shouldn't. Teams should press for Gibson. Gibson is reliable, he hasn't played less than 62 games in his career. He doesn't carry an ego, doesn't need the ball to be effective, and doesn't have an unreliable jumper. He is the very model of a guy who helps your team win. Franchises should be lining up on his agent's call sheet on July 1st. Teams like Boston, Atlanta (if Paul Millsap departs), Houston and Denver should look to make big offers for Gibson.
If Gibson winds up being overpaid, it's a good gamble that went badly. But the most likely scenario remains Gibson staying with Chicago, staying as a valuable contributor, and staying for less than what he could get elsewhere.
