The New York Knicks filled out their final active roster spot by bringing back a familiar face, as the team announced Wednesday that they are signing forward Jacob Toppin to another two-way contract.
Jacob Toppin is still developing at the NBA level
Toppin is the younger brother to former Knicks power forward Obi Toppin, who is currently with the Indiana Pacers. Jacob was not a major contributor to the Knicks’ NBA squad last season, as he played just nine games and averaged 4.2 minutes in those games. The most amount of NBA action he got was on Feb. 14 against the Orlando Magic in which he scored 11 points in 17 minutes of action.
His most notable moment of last season was appearing in the league’s slam dunk competition, where he failed to make the final round of the event along with Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr.
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Toppin has shown potential in the G-league
Toppin is still developing as a player at the NBA level, but has shown some promise during his time in the G-league as a potential impact player down the road. Last season with the Westchester Knicks, he averaged 19.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in 25 games.
While he is unlikely to crack serious playing time on a Knicks team that is now deeper than it was last year, it is still good to bring back someone familiar with the organization and could serve as depth if injuries start to mount again.