New York Knicks backup forward Obi Toppin is currently out with a knee injury, but that has not stopped teams from expressing interest in the third-year forward.
With the Knicks gearing up for a big trade deadline that is expected to be incredibly active for them, they are willing to offer whoever they must to get a good deal in place.
It would appear that Obi Toppin is now a name that is not off the table.
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The Pacers are a team to watch for Knicks’ Obi Toppin:
According to a new report by Sean Deveney of Heavy, the Knicks and the Indiana Pacers have held discussions about a trade that would send Toppin to Indiana.
The report also stated that an anonymous executive said that Toppin would be a good fit in Indiana, given that he is young, explosive, fast, and the team is young and full of fresh legs.
Indiana also reportedly has “some extra first-rounders” they are willing to ship out to other teams in return for established players. The Knicks also have a plethora of draft capital they are looking to move at some point, and this may serve as an opportunity to acquire more draft picks to stock up on in order to make a huge blockbuster deal before the trade deadline.
The Pacers may benefit from a Toppin trade as well, as they are exceeding expectations this season at 19-17 entering Saturday, led by potential All-Star Tyrese Haliburton (or, if you’re Wally Szczerbiak, “wannabe All-Star”).
Haliburton and Toppin could form a lethal duo that would be filled with highlight alley-oop dunks and lights-out shooting that could help lead the Pacers to an unexpected playoff spot in a tightly packed Eastern Conference.
Before Toppin’s knee injury that has had him sidelined for the past few weeks, he was averaging 7.7 PPG and shooting a career-best 35.1% from deep in 17 minutes per game this season.
With Julius Randle returning to his All-NBA form this season, Toppin is not likely to become a permanent starter as a member of the Knicks anytime soon, barring some unforeseen circumstance.
Moving Toppin elsewhere could be a win-win for both parties, as the Knicks will be able to acquire more draft capital in return for the former lottery pick, and Toppin will be able to get a larger opportunity to showcase why he was drafted 8th overall back in 2020.
Will the Knicks pull the plug on the Obi Toppin experiment? Only time will tell.
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