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In the days leading up to the new NBA season, the New York Knicks still have some questions to answer and there’s not a guarantee the roster as it’s currently built will remain the same by the time opening day rolls around.
Names like Evan Fournier and Julius Randle have been linked to trades, but so far there’s nothing to indicate there are real suitors out there willing to take them on right away.
Other names include some that were included in Donovan Mitchell trade talks like Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes and RJ Barrett. Barrett just signed a four-year extension, so he’s likely off the table, Grimes holds a ton of value within the organization, and Toppin has his fans within the organization as well.
There’s been a lot of talk about how Barrett wasn’t a pick from the front office led by Leon Rose, but Toppin was, and he holds a lot of value because of that.
Toppin Seems Safe
If Toppin was going to be included in a trade, it likely would’ve happened with Mitchell instead of a simple swap for somebody else. As SNY’s David Vertsberger points out, Toppin is still valued high by the team, and he has flashed star power, and he’s a dunk contest winner, not that that factors into decision making.
“We haven’t heard anything about the Knicks looking for a simple Toppin swap, and why would we?” Vertsberger asked. “He’s Leon Rose’s prized draft pick and a terrific culture-setter, with some game to boot.”
Toppin is a former lottery pick, and he showed he can flourish when he gets the minutes to play. His main problem is the fact he’s stuck behind Julius Randle in the depth chart, and with Tom Thibodeau seemingly unwilling to play the two of them together, Toppin is stuck without a clear path to earning minutes.
One way to solve this problem would be a trade of Randle, but with his $117 million extension now in place, that will make things more difficult.
Could Randle Be Moved?
Vertsberger makes the case that trading Randle would be beneficial for Toppin, and perhaps even the team.
“Moving Randle would free up a number of things for the Knicks, such as long-term cap space, Toppin to play 30 minutes a night, and the ball to move more fluidly on offense,” he said. “It would also mean completely giving up on a player who was All-NBA second team a year ago at his rock bottom value for little in return.”
The Kings once showed interest in acquiring the forward, and there’s a possibility they could still want to bring him on. Outside of them, the options are slim, but the Charlotte Hornets could also be a decent fit.
A swap of Randle for Gordon Hayward could benefit both sides as this would free up minutes for Toppin while also landing the Knicks proven shooter from deep, something that’s always coveted.
Nothing concrete between the two sides has been discussed yet, but there are a variety of different ways a trade like this could occur.
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