Taj Gibon’s NBA Career Ends After Memphis Grizzlies Tenure

The Memphis Grizzlies will go down as the last team that journeyman Taj Gibson suited up for in his lengthy NBA career.

After being traded by the Grizzlies last week to a New Orleans Pelicans team that quickly waived him, Gibson has decided to end his playing career and transition into an assistant coaching role with the Chicago Bulls.

The move brings him back to where he started his NBA career. Gibson was drafted by Chicago in 2009 and spent nearly eight seasons with the Bulls, a tenure that laid the groundwork for him to have a long career in the NBA.

He will now work under new Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter as the franchise looks to turn a corner and get back to competing in the Eastern Conference.

The switch to coaching seems like a natural transition for Gibson, who had arguably become more of a veteran presence than an on-court contributor toward the end of his playing career. Across his last three seasons, he played in just 67 total games, but the now 41-year-old certainly brought a lot to the table from a leadership perspective.

The Grizzlies felt his impact in that regard quickly after signing him in the middle of the 2025-26 season. That may be the biggest reason they gave him an opportunity in the first place, considering the fact that they played him in just 10 games following the February signing.

Gibson averaged just 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game across his time with Memphis last season. Overall, his production over the final few seasons of his career was modest.

But earlier in his career, including his time with the Bulls, he was a key rotation piece. He was a frequent Sixth Man of the Year candidate during his Chicago tenure and also spent a good chunk of his NBA career as a starter.

Described as a great teammate, the newly retired big man will now get to start a new chapter in his basketball journey. Last week, he expressed gratitude to the Grizzlies for giving him a chance. The stint with Memphis allowed him to hit 17 seasons in the NBA, something not many players can say.

He was also the second-oldest active player in the league behind the legendary LeBron James.

Gibson should be able to use everything he saw during his NBA career to become a valuable assistant coach for the Bulls.