Obi Toppin Trade Leaves Knicks a 'Hole' at Power Forward
The New York Knicks have some re-adjusting to do after trading Obi Toppin to the Indiana Pacers.
New York dealt Toppin for two second-round picks to the Pacers after struggling to find playing time for him behind Julius Randle. Losing Toppin means that there will need to be a change in the team's rotation.
“It was time to trade Obi," an anonymous Knicks source said via Spotrac's Keith Smith. "He needs to play more and we’re committed to Julius Randle. It does leave us with a bit of a hole at the 4, but that’s something we can figure out going into the season.”
With Toppin gone, there's no immediate solution as to who will take his minutes at the power forward spot. The team signed Donte DiVincenzo, but he's a little small compared to Toppin. Sure, the Knicks can roll out a smaller lineup, but there will be some mismatches against some longer teams.
The team could sign an outside free agent like P.J. Washington or Christian Wood, respectively repping Charlotte and Dallas. But Washington's restricted status and Wood's struggles over the past few years leave doubts as to whether they're true replacements behind Randle. New York could give someone currently on their Summer League roster like Isaiah Roby or rookie Jaylen Martin a shot, but neither is a guarantee to be ready to contribute for a contender ... or even make the opening night ledger.
In what's probably the likeliest option, the Knicks will trade Evan Fournier and take on a power forward in return, likely be someone with something to prove. With an opportunity to be a solid bench option for the Knicks, it could be a match made in heaven.
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