Taj Gibson to reportedly sign with Grizzlies, would be 35th player in history to make an NBA appearance at age 40

Taj Gibson returns to the NBA at 40.

The 16-year NBA veteran has agreed to a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. When he appears in a game, he will be the 35th player in NBA history to play at age 40 or older.

Announcement

Gibson has been out of the NBA all season. He spent sporadic minutes with the Charlotte Hornets last year, averaging 2.9 points and 11.1 minutes in 37 games (11 starts).

The only other players from Gibson’s 2009 draft class to see minutes this season: Stephen Curry, James Harden, Jrue Holiday and DeMar DeRozan.

Gibson will join a Grizzlies team currently sitting in 11th place in the Western Conference at 21 through 36. They are six games behind the 10th-place Los Angeles Clippers for the final play-in spot, making them more likely to consider the future rather than this year’s outcome. In this regard, Gibson gives them a player who can offer guidance to younger players.

As for the 2026 NBA Draft, the Grizzlies are tied with the Dallas Mavericks for the seventh-worst record in the NBA.