Knicks Move on From Obi Toppin
The Knicks have officially moved on from Obi Toppin, with his trade to the Indiana Pacers marking the close of a tumultuous three-year stint in New York for the Brooklyn native. His short career thus far has been filled with many highs, such as his soaring dunks, but also many lows, such as his inconsistent minutes and outputs.
Drafted 8th overall out of Dayton in 2020, Toppin was selected with the thought of becoming the Knicks' future power forward. However, when free agency went nowhere near according to plans, the Knicks were forced to use their cap space on Julius Randle, an underwhelming signing and player thus far in his career, but a talented and proven NBA power forward nonetheless.
To make Obi’s life worse, Randle exploded for a breakout year, landing both All-Star and All-NBA selections, both for the first time in his career. Coach Tom Thibadeau’s tactics, led to Randle leading the league in minutes, essentially blocking Toppin’s ability to see the floor for significant stretches.
Toppin, a freak athlete but a raw basketball prospect, was given an extremely short leash and was forced to both prove himself and improve in a very short period. After a standout year at Dayton before being drafted, it was clear this transition was tough for him, as he struggled to carve out a real role on the team.
He was always able to run up the floor, soaring for a high-flying dunk to bring down the Garden roof. However, there were far too many lapses, times when it seemed he either didn’t care or was lost. Poor movement on offense and does not understand where he should be paired with weak one-on-one defense and often loses track of his man, and struggles to pick up switches.
As his career progressed, he has been able to improve in these areas, and there were numerous moments over the last two years where Obi was a real contributor to a good Knicks squad. However, those moments were too few and far between.
Obi Toppin leaves New York a fan favorite, but more importantly for Pacer fans, a question mark. Obi has never been allowed to grow on the court with impactful minutes. Many in the Knicks front office believed this opportunity would not be possible in New York, and thus looked to move him, creating minutes in a rotation that should be bloated, even after Toppin’s departure.
For Indiana, it’s a low-risk trade, moving only two second-round picks. Obi has proven he is an NBA player and will look for an opportunity to prove he can be much more than that. Indiana, still in a rebuild, gains a hungry young player who lines up with their timeline while holding onto their valuable picks and needing no long-term commitment at the moment.
For the Knicks, it wasn’t a necessary move, but it frees up minutes for other guys, such as Miles “Deuce” McBride, as well as relieves some pressure off Julius Randle.
While Obi’s time in New York was short, and his NBA future is uncertain, Obi will be fondly remembered for his dunks, his effort, and his smile. Wherever Obi goes, he will always be a Fan Favorite at the Garden.