Knicks' Obi Toppin Reportedly Traded to Pacers for 2 Future 2nd-Round NBA Draft Picks

The New York Knicks are trading power forward Obi Toppin to the Indiana Pacers for two second-round picks, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

This ends his tenure in the Big Apple after three seasons, and a change of scenery could be a blessing for the 2020 first-round pick.

Toppin continued to be a role player for the Knicks in 2022-23. He averaged 7.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.7 minutes on the floor over 67 appearances. He also shot 44.6 percent overall and 34.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Toppin's best performance came in a 141-136 loss to the Indiana Pacers on April 9, when he finished with 34 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.

The Brooklyn native couldn't hide his excitement on draft night as he landed with his hometown team. Unfortunately, the stars simply didn't align in his favor.

ESPN's Zach Lowe wrote in March how Toppin was stuck because of how he was utilized by the Knicks coaching staff:

"Tom Thibodeau won't use Toppin at center, or pair Toppin and Randle in smaller lineups, and it's pretty much impossible at this point to nit-pick that decision. The Knicks are winning, and their three-headed center brigade—Mitchell Robinson (getting in that cardio!), Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims—has executed Thibodeau's scheme."

There was little reason to think the situation would change, at least as long as Julius Randle was on the roster and blocking any path into the starting unit for Toppin.

For the Knicks, this was the offseason to make a trade if they lost belief in his upside. He's entering the final year of his rookie contract and potentially headed for restricted free agency in 2024. He's eligible to sign an extension starting this offseason.

Toppin's trade value was never going to be any higher between now and the 2024 trade deadline.

This deal also affords the 6'9" forward the opportunity to rebuild his value in 2023-24 before he hits the open market.

Shooting is one area in which Toppin could make himself some money by continuing to improve. Per NBA.com, he knocked down 34.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes, up from 31.5 percent in 2021-22. He also shot 35.2 percent on above-the-break threes and 36.7 percent from the left corner.

The odds of Toppin making a breakthrough and becoming a major star are slim. But the tools are there for him to be an effective stretch 4 or small-ball 5.

Indiana might be better positioned than New York was to help him hit his ceiling.

The Pacers could be a great fit for Toppin because they have a dynamic playmaker (Tyrese Haliburton) and a floor-stretching big (Myles Turner) who both complement his skill set.

The team is fresh off using a top-10 pick on Houston forward Jarace Walker, however.

Since neither Walker nor Toppin is ideally suited to play the 3, the former figures to be coming off the bench as a rookie. And that could be the case for the foreseeable future if Toppin is eventually re-signed.

How head coach Rick Carlisle utilizes the two players will be among the subplots surroundings the Pacers in 2023-24.