The Knicks waived veteran and coach favorite Taj Gibson, just a few days before his contract would’ve been guaranteed.

Gibson, the oldest player on the Knicks and viewed as a strong locker room presence, was scooped up by the Knicks in December as insurance after surgery to Mitchell Robinson.

He was thrust into action briefly but the arrival of Precious Achiuwa in a trade last month left him out of the rotation.

Waiving Gibson leaves the Knicks with an open roster spot and the team is expected to be active before the trade deadline next month.

His $2.24 million salary would’ve been locked in on Wednesday.

Without Gibson, the Knicks still have Achiuwa and Jericho Sims as the backups.

On Saturday, Tom Thibodeau, who guided Gibson on three different teams, said he would “100 percent” take the center on his coaching staff at some point.

The day he signed, Gibson said he also sees a future in coaching and considered the Knicks as an ideal spot to learn while he played.

“I’m still considering that. But it has to be the right situation,” Gibson said. “I want to be somewhere where I can learn, brighten my future. This is a bright spot for me, being around the coaching staff who I can learn from. … Here I’m so locked into the coaching staff. They basically taught me how to be a pro. It only fits right where I can learn, just fall right into place.”