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With his extension coming up and no path toward longer playing time, New York Knicks backup forward Obi Toppin could be moved this summer.
According to SNY’s Knicks insider Ian Begley, the Knicks and the Indiana Pacers may revisit the earlier trade talks involving Toppin in a possible swap with another former lottery pick, Chris Duarte.
“I know the Knicks and the Pacers, prior to the [trade] deadline, had something in place like a loose framework, and it was Obi, and I think you look at the Pacers roster, you know Chris Duarte, there’s some duplication around him,” Begley said on the May 17 episode of SNY’s The Putback.
“So, I think Indiana thought maybe that could work, and there were obviously pieces, draft picks involved. They couldn’t get a deal done, but maybe they revisit that at some point this off-season if the [Knicks] decide that, ‘hey, we need to free up that spot or we don’t think Obi could fit here long term.'”
Duarte has fallen out of favor in the Pacers’ rotation this season with the arrival of solid rookies Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin.
Duarte had a significant drop-off in his production after his playing time was reduced from 28 minutes during his rookie year to 19.5 minutes this season.
After averaging 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 37% clip from deep, Duarte struggled in his sophomore season, posting just 7.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.5 steals, and hit a putrid 31.6% from the three-point territory.
Duarte had been on the Knicks’ radar since the former JUCO Player of the Year entered the NBA Draft in 2021. The Knicks even tried to trade up for him. But the Pacers kept their pick and selected the Dominican Republic native at No. 13. The Knicks eventually settled with Quentin Grimes 12 picks later after a flurry of trades. Grimes rose to become a starter and the Knicks’ top perimeter defender this season.
Pacers Could Give Obi Toppin More Playing Time
Back in December, an anonymous Eastern Conference executive told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney that Toppin fits the Pacers frontline next to center Myles Turner.
“There has been some talk between the Pacers and Knicks about Obi (Toppin). He fits in Indiana, especially if they keep Turner. Obi is a rim-runner, he has some toughness, he has athleticism. He needs minutes and a team that is rebuilding with young talent like Indy is a really good match,” the exec told Deveney at that time.
Toppin, the eighth overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, continued to languish behind two-time NBA All-Star Julius Randle in his third season.
Toppin averaged 7.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.7 minutes of playing time in his first three seasons with the Knicks.
Former NBA Exec Warns Knicks on Trading Away Julius Randle
As more Knicks fans turned their backs on Julius Randle after another disappointing playoff performance, former Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager-turned ESPN’s NBA front office insider Bobby Marks warned them to be careful what they wish for.
“The thing is, you make one more wrong move, those being two games away from the Eastern Conference Finals would be two games into the play-in,” Marks said on KnicksFan TV.
Unless it is for a blockbuster trade for a star, Marks advised the Knicks to keep Randle.
“You go out and make a crazy trade, and it maybe helps you short term, but it sets you back long term here, and I think you have to be careful in taking that kind of approach. It’s almost like you’re building a puzzle — once you take a couple of pieces off, all of a sudden, they don’t fit anymore here — so I would just warn people to be careful as far as just like throwing Julius out the door and bringing back two role players,” Marks added.
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