Taj Gibson — Update: Gibson is signing with the Knicks
If DeMarcus Cousins and Kevon Looney both leave, the Golden State Warriors frontcourt will be extremely thin. They don’t want to play a death lineup at all times given the fragile nature of Andre Iguodala.
That said, they need an ironman down low if those two go elsewhere. While also a bit outside of their price range, Taj Gibson would be a quintessential addition. He played last season in Minnesota and has spent most of his career in Chicago.
Gibson averaged 10.6 per game last season on over 56% shooting. He’s a solid mid-range shooter, shooting over 40% from 10-16 feet. He’s also not a defensive liability which is important when considering big men.
Making $14 million last season, Gibson will likely be looking at a similar contract. With Iggy making over $17 million, the Warriors already have a mid-value veteran taking up a chunk of cap space, so unless he’s willing to take less, he’s going elsewhere.
However, he should be on the rankings if he doesn’t draw interest from other teams.