Whiplash! That’s the only word that comes to mind when thinking about Taj Gibson. Less than a week ago, the Memphis Grizzlies traded him to the Pelicans, who in turn waived him. The player decided it would be the final transaction of his 17-year playing career and chose retirement… But just when it looked like the veteran had played his last game, Gibson had one more surprise in store!

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Gibson will return to the Chicago Bulls, the same team that drafted him in 2009, as an assistant coach on first-year head coach Tiago Splitter’s staff. However, this was not a sudden move. Gibson had it all planned out.

Here’s the thing: the possibility of a new role with the Bulls first surfaced in July, when Gibson spent time around the team during Summer League in Las Vegas. Then, there was journalist Ian Begley, who first reported on the Bulls having a strong interest in adding Taj Gibson to their coaching staff.

Plus, there are other reasons he decided to return to Chicago.

• Chicago became a major part of Taj Gibson’s story after the Bulls drafted him in 2009. He spent eight seasons in the organization and quickly became a fan favorite during a stretch when the Bulls made their deepest postseason runs since the Jordan dynasty of the 1990s.
• Chicago has remained part of Gibson’s life even after his playing days with the Bulls. He returned to the city in January for Derrick Rose’s jersey retirement ceremony, adding another chapter to a relationship that has made him extremely familiar with the organization.

This comes after the 41-year-old decided to retire from his playing career. Gibson’s playing career stretched across eight franchises. He began with eight seasons in Chicago, and later had stops with Oklahoma City, Minnesota, and two separate stints with the Knicks, in addition to playing for other teams.

“Today is a very emotional day for me,” Gibson wrote about his retirement. “After 17 seasons in the NBA, I can honestly say I gave this game everything I had.

“After 31 years of basketball, I can walk away with no regrets, knowing I left everything on the floor. God has truly blessed me. Thank you, basketball.”

But the timing lined up well for the Chicago Bulls’ roster. With the Bulls in the middle of a roster rebuild around Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson, some fans had already pushed back on the idea of bringing Gibson back for another season as a player, arguing that a youth-focused roster had little use for another open veteran spot.

Landing him as a coach instead lets the organization keep his experience in the building without taking a spot away from a player it is trying to develop.

Taj Gibson is expected to work directly with the Bulls’ young frontcourt, including forward Matas Buzelis and rookie Caleb Wilson, giving the coaching staff a direct link to the kind of habits that helped Gibson last nearly two decades in the league.

Interesting fact: Taj Gibson’s transition into coaching was already underway before the Bulls brought him onto their staff. In recent years, he coached and mentored teenagers at the NBA Top 100 camp, giving him valuable experience.

Between the surprise trade, the surprise waiving, and now the surprise return to the same franchise that drafted him 17 years ago, Gibson’s final week as an NBA player was almost as eventful as entire seasons of his career.

For the Bulls, though, the outcome is straightforward: a well-respected veteran who never fully left Chicago is now positioned to shape the next generation of the roster from the bench instead of the court.

What does Chicago’s staff look like?

The Bulls rounded out their coaching staff Monday, announcing Gibson as one of seven assistant coaches.

List of assistants: Blake Ahearn, Jordan Brink (also the director of player development), Jonah Herscu, Taj Gibson, Rex Kalamian, Wes Unseld Jr and Jamelle McMillan.

Player development staff: Pete Crawford, LD Williams, and Martin Rancik, who is the senior player development coach.

Video team: Micah Burno, who is the assistant video coordinator, along with Jayden Hardaway, Delvon Johnson, and Brandon Leftwich. Jeremiah Bonsu is the head video coordinator.