The Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to a two-year, $28 million contract with free agent Taj Gibson. The move reunites Gibson with his former coach, Tom Thibodeau, who coached Gibson for five years when he was with the Chicago Bulls. It has been a busy offseason for Minnesota after the team agreed to a contract with point guard Jeff Teague while making a trade to acquire Jimmy Butler a week ago.
Bulls reunion
Thibodeau has brought in two pieces that resembled everything he preached in Chicago. Gibson and Butler are two players that can play hard-nosed defense.
They don't stray away from physicality and were two options that Thibodeau would keep in the lineup during the fourth quarter.
Gibson was a key contributor off the bench during the 2010-2011 Bulls team that made the Eastern Conference finals. Butler was selected that year during the NBA draft and was not a part of the team. Gibson was the type of player that filled in for Carlos Boozer down the stretch for his defensive efforts. Now, Butler is that kind of player, but with more offensive skills.
This is a great move since these two already have chemistry with their head coach. Both bring a winning attitude with them, but Gibson brings more leadership. Gibson has always been a loved teammate, and he will be able to be a mentor to 21-year old Karl Anthony-Towns.
Rose contract unlikely
The trade that sent Ricky Rubio to the Utah Jazz ultimately led to the signing of Teague. There were once rumors of Derrick Rose coming to Minnesota, but it's unlikely that the Timberwolves can afford him.
Even though they can't reel him in, Rose should consider where he is in his career. He has made plenty of money.
He has been a part of two losing teams the last two years. He is far from the star player that won him the MVP in 2011, so how much pride would he have to swallow to come off the bench?
The answer is most likely a lot, but Rose would be a spectacular Sixth Man for the Timberwolves. A rotation of Rose and Teague as floor generals would be outstanding for the team.
Half of the reason the 2011 Bulls made the conference finals was that of the famous "bench mob" that featured Gibson, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, and Omir Asik.
Rose is valued as a $10-$12 million a year type of player, but a team like the Knicks will probably overspend for him. Rose has said he wants to stay in New York, but with the lack of a general manager, and rumors of Carmelo Anthony being traded, it's possible that Rose could ponder going elsewhere.
