Getty Obi Toppin is sticking around for another year.
Anybody who has been following the New York Knicks closely realized things were already trending in this direction, but the team decided to make it official and pick up Obi Toppin’s fourth year option that will keep him under contract through next year.
The report of this option being picked up comes from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who revealed the news in a tweet.
The New York Knicks picked up the fourth-year option on forward Obi Toppin, sources tell ESPN.
Toppin has his fingerprints all over the team’s early success so far, and he was the catalyst for RJ Barrett’s highlight reel dunk, perhaps the most memorable play so far of this short season.
The Knicks still have a decision to make before the October 31 deadline on Immanuel Quickley, but it can also be expected they will do the same thing with third-year guard, a player who plays a big role with the Knicks.
Toppin and Quickley were both selected by the Knicks in the 2020 NBA Draft, but Toppin was a lottery pick by the team while Quickley was a late first-round pick.
Toppin Still Finding His Place
Talent hasn’t really be the problem for Toppin over his career, but instead it’s been finding a way to get consistent minutes.
Usually players who have skill find their way onto the court, but the problem with Toppin is the fact he’s stuck behind Julius Randle on the depth chart. Coupled with the fact that coach Tom Thibodeau hasn’t shown a desire to play the two together, it has led to the former lottery pick playing a reduced role.
With Randle getting off to a hot start this year, the minutes for Toppin can be even tougher to come by, and Thibodeau might be forced into more creative lineups just to make sure he gets minutes.
After a summer of wondering whether or not he’ll be included in a Donovan Mitchell trade, the forward can now focus on his game, and he’s made the most of it through the three games.
Getting Better and Better
Toppin did make a big leap in his second year when compared to his first, and the Knicks will be hoping he can make a similar one in his third year.
With Jalen Brunson in town, the Knicks have a true playmaker at the position, and that leaves the door open to easy lobs for Toppin as he runs the floor.
While it is a small sample size of three games, Toppin is averaging seven shots a game which would be a career high for him. Providing something in the range of 10 points and five rebounds off the bench would be solid and in line with what the team could reasonably expect of him in his role.
Unfortunately for him, it does appear like a starting role for him isn’t in the cards unless the Knicks clear the way by trading Julius Randle. An NBA executive speaking to Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney does say that’s a possibility.
“He could definitely be a guy who looks to request a trade this year,” the exec told Deveney. “I don’t think they’re going to be using him the way he is used to being used, not with the wings that they have.”