Knicks clear out Obi Toppin, create more maneuverability
New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Obi Toppin was the first major personnel decision for the Knicks’ front office led by Leon Rose, a lottery pick for whom they had considered moving up from No. 8 (if necessary) to grab as their young centerpiece. On Saturday, the Knicks admitted their mistake. A source confirmed that they were sending Toppin to the Indiana Pacers for a pair of future second-round picks, a hard-to-swallow return for a player who thrilled the front office back then and the Madison Square Garden crowds for three seasons with his high-flying style.
The trade can’t be officially announced until Thursday.
It wasn’t just giving up on Toppin as much as it was a confluence of circumstances. He was stuck behind Julius Randle, who developed into an All-NBA player in Toppin’s rookie season, and it also was a business decision on both sides.
For the Knicks, it cleared his $6.8 million salary from their books, giving them more flexibility as they try to make moves this summer. It also was a gift for Toppin and perhaps his agent, Sam Rose, the son of the Knicks’ president. It gives Toppin a chance to prove his value as he is eligible for a contract extension.
It’s a strange end to his tenure with the Knicks, coming just days after the Knicks signed his younger brother, Jacob, to a two-way contract. But his time in New York was never simple.
Toppin was a crowd favorite with his fast-break dunks but never was able to impress coach Tom Thibodeau enough with his struggles on defense, rebounding and creating his own shot. A story surfaced in recent days of a loud argument between Toppin and Thibodeau after he played sparse minutes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in Miami.
Still, it’s not an anomaly for the front office to try to make the parting amicable.
Josh Hart had less than five months in place with the Knicks when he worked together with the front office to come to terms on a deal in which he opted into his $12.9 million player option rather than hitting free agency. And there may be some sound logic to it, working out a wink-wink deal for August, when he can get an extension worth $81 million over four years.
But what it really did was show that the front office has created enough goodwill that Hart wanted to be in New York, was willing to sacrifice money to do it and was working in conjunction to create flexibility for the team.
Hart marked the occasion by tweeting “NY is home,” followed by blue and orange hearts. A day later, he went to work when news that former Portland teammate Damian Lillard was requesting a trade. On Twitter, Hart tried to lure Lillard to Madison Square Garden with a simple message of “Hey DameLillard” followed by a raised hand emoji.
The Knicks have smoothed what once was a confrontational divide. The previous front office started to mend fences after Phil Jackson’s tenure and the Rose-led group has continued it. In addition to moving Toppin, according to a team source, the Knicks are trying to utilize Evan Fournier’s $18.9 million expiring contract to make a trade but also are determined to not force Fournier, who was a good soldier throughout last season’s benching, to wither on the bench again in what should be the prime years of his career.
After the Toppin move, the Knicks have cleared his salary and created a $6.8 million trade exception as they pursue free agents. Golden State’s Donte DiVincenzo was their primary target, and they reportedly reached agreement with him Saturday.
While DiVincenzo, with his Villanova roots and friendship with Jalen Brunson and Hart, is a nice fit in the Knicks’ locker room, there now is a hole at power forward behind Randle. Thibodeau has expressed belief in the 6-4 Hart and RJ Barrett in limited minutes there. The Knicks used the $12.4 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception on DiVincenzo and still could search for a low-cost piece with size and defensive skills that Toppin could not provide.
Rose finds a home
Derrick Rose could have tried to hang on in New York with a $15.6 million team option, which the Knicks would have used as a trade chip. But Rose wanted to play, believing that at 34 years old, he still has something left on the court. And he found that chance Friday, signing a two-year, $6.5 million deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. With Ja Morant suspended for the first 25 games, there are minutes to be had in the city where Rose spent his one season of college ball.
Just last week on Paul George’s podcast, Randle spoke about Rose’s impact on the Knicks. Not so much the impact on the court but on the leadership he displayed when he was on the bench last season.
“He’s got no ego,” Randle said. “What I think more than anything is he’s got like a great perspective on life because he’s been to the top of the mountain and he’s seen the worst of the worst, you know, at least when it comes to basketball. I can speak for that. So to have him, to have somebody like that? And then to be where he’s at now and to be able to come back and play and have the presence that he has, you can just imagine what type of person he is, right?
“So he’s just a steady person. He’s never too high, never too low. And for me, I need somebody like that . . . because I play with passion. Sometimes my emotions get the best of me, but to have somebody like that, like he doesn’t have to say nothing and I can look on the bench. I already know what he’s talking about, whether it’s good or bad. And then he’s like quiet and essentially he don’t say much, but if he says something, it’s everybody’s listening, right? So to have that dude in the locker room is great. And he could still hoop. So yeah, he’s still got something in the tank.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
