Have Knicks Found 'Really Good Match' in Obi Toppin Trade?
The NBA's trade season is hard to stop ... and the injured Obi Toppin might have to learn that the hard way.
Per an anonymous Eastern Conference executive, the New York Knicks have dangled Toppin in front of the Indiana Pacers, having expressed interest in the multiple first-round picks available for the taking in Indianapolis. Toppin has not partaken in a Knicks game since Dec. 7, injured in the win over Atlanta after knee-to-knee contact with Aaron Holiday.
"There has been some talk between the Pacers and Knicks about Obi," the exec told Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. "He fits in Indiana, especially if they keep (Myles) Turner. Obi is a rim-runner, he has some toughness, he has athleticism. He needs minutes and a team that is rebuilding with young talent like Indy is a really good match,”
Minutes, as any casual observer of the Knicks over the past few seasons has realized, have always seemed to hold Toppin back from his true potential. Making his New York entry as the eighth overall pick of the 2020 draft, Toppin has averaged less than 15 minutes a game and made only 10 starts in his three seasons in blue and orange. Prior to his knee injury, Toppin had matched his minutes per game from last season at 17.1, though he was posting a career-best in rebounds (3.8), free-throw percentage (.824), and three-point percentage (.351).
Though the exec describes the Pacers (19-17) as "rebuilding," they currently hold the sixth and final automatic Eastern Conference playoff spot, a game ahead of the Knicks and Miami Heat. In addition to its regularly scheduled first-round choice, the Pacers also hold the 2023 premier choices of the Boston Celtics (gleaned from a trade for Malcolm Brogdon) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (Caris LeVert). Each pick is respectively protected in the top 12 and 14 but seems poised to transfer based on the success of those two sides.
The Knicks, of course, have made little secret of stockpiling draft picks in the hopes of luring in a top superstar talent, previously doing so to build a budget for Jalen Brunson, which eventually succeeded at four years and $104 million. Trading Toppin would perhaps firmly entrench themselves in full-on contention mode, at least in their own eyes.
New York (18-18) will close out the calendar year on Saturday night when they battle the Houston Rockets (7 p.m. ET, MSG).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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