The New York Knicks selected forward Obi Toppin No. 8 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft to be part of their young core moving forward.
Through three seasons, and it has not panned out. Toppin is averaging just seven points and 3.0 rebounds throughout his career. He’s also started 15 of a possible 201 games while getting into a recent spat with head coach Tom Thibodeau. As other players have learned, getting on Thibs wrong side will lead to a one-way ticket out of town. That now appears to be the case with Toppin appearing in numerous NBA trade rumors.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Indiana Pacers have emerged as a leading candidate to acquire Toppin from the New York Knicks.
Indiana is on the verge of moving off its own former lottery pick in that of Chris Duarte in a trade with the Sacramento Kings. The idea for general manager Kevin Pritchard is to build a more well-rounded roster behind All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton after a third consecutive non-playoff season.
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Obi Toppin stats (2022-23): 7.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 45% shooting, 34% 3-point
Toppin, 25, entered the Association back in 2020 to much fanfare. He was the 2019-20 Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year and won the Naismith Award for Dayton the same season. Toppin averaged 17.1 points on 42% shooting from distance during his two years in college.
It’s not yet known what the New York Knicks might acquire in return. However, future draft compensation with Indiana taking Toppin’s $6.8 million salary into its cap might make the most sense. New York is looking to make bigger moves after a second-round exit in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.