Getty Obi Toppin of the New York Knicks reacts during the fourth quarter of the game against the Miami Heat.
The New York Knicks made the bold and, to many, unpopular decision to trade former lottery-selected forward Obi Toppin to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for two future second-round picks.
Now, with a presumed vacancy at the backup four behind All-Star Julius Randle, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley predicts that the front office will now shift their attention toward free agent big JaMychal Green to serve as his replacement within the rotation.
“New York doesn’t need a major-minutes option behind Julius Randle, since—as Toppin could attest—there isn’t much floor time to be found behind the All-NBA forward. JaMychal Green would handle 15-ish minutes per night just fine.
“The 33-year-old is a quick thinker on offense, a capable switcher on defense and, typically, an above-average shooter from distance. If his shooting holds up—he’s hit 37-plus percent from range in four of the past five seasons—he could add a stretch element to this frontcourt’s attack,” Buckley wrote.
JaMychal
Green
💪😤💥
A nine-year NBA veteran, JaMychal Green has established himself as a trusty frontcourt presence who can contribute on both ends of the floor.
The 33-year-old is coming off a 2022-23 campaign where he posted per-game averages of 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds through 57 games with the Golden State Warriors while shooting a highly efficient 54.0 percent from the floor and 37.8 percent from deep on 6.6 attempts per 100 possessions.
Should the Knicks opt to snatch Green up off the free agency market, he would be joining former Dubs teammate Donte DiVincenzo, who signed a four-year, $50 million deal with the organization back on July 1.
Knicks Believed to be Gearing Up for ‘Another Move’
The Obi Toppin trade may not wind up being the lone splash made by the Knicks this summer, as The Athletic’s Fred Katz suggested in a July 5 article that Leon Rose and company “may have another move up their sleeve.”
“The world chatters about their quest for a star. But there are other tweaks they could make, ones that may not seize this faceless, long-awaited MVP candidate but could make them better today — and if a move like that occurred, it would give the DiVincenzo signing new context,” Katz wrote. “The Knicks have built packages around their promising young players to target prime-aged veterans they believe would help the current roster. If they flipped one of their 20-something guards for a versatile wing, that would change the context of the DiVincenzo signing, too.”
Though there’s little known about what this other move could be, recent rumblings may indicate that it could be a deal for Toronto Raptors wing and frequently rumored Knicks trade target OG Anunoby, who Sportsnet Canada’s Michael Grange described in a recent report as someone who “remains on the watch list” for New York’s front office.
Jalen Brunson to Have ‘Pretty Big Role’ for Team USA
The 2023 FIBA World Cup will see a Team USA roster loaded up with both Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson representing the Knicks organization and, according to head coach Steve Kerr, the latter is expected to have a rather sizeable role within their scheme.
“I will definitely go into this with a vision of Jalen Brunson taking on a pretty big role given the way he plays, his success at the FIBA level in past tournaments,” Kerr said.
Jalen Brunson came up BIG in the must-win Game 5.
38 PTS
9 REB
7 AST
Knicks force a Game 6 👀
#NBAPlayoffs presented by @GooglePixel_US
Jalen Brunson finds himself coming off of his first season with the Knicks as well as the best campaign of his young yet promising career, as he posted impressive per-game averages of 24.0 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 41.6 percent from deep.