The difference between where the New York Knicks expected to be at this time just a couple of months ago and where they are now is huge. In many respects, it’s like night and day.
The leap this team has taken and the general concept of success overall has been unheard of for the Knicks for many years now.
In hindsight, of course, the actions the team’s new front office took in the offseason were smart and beneficial. However, many of those decisions weren’t expected to generate such immediate returns.
The bevy of pick swaps on the night of the 2020 draft seemed to be more about adding to our collection of future draft picks than it was about selecting a particular player. Now we know it was also part of an effort to draft Immanuel Quickley, who World Wide Wes was correct in begging Leon Rose to go after. Quickley both lived up to Wes’ hype and his own namesake by ascending to status as one of the most promising rookies in his class.
What was my initial reaction to signing Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks? Well, it was the same reaction that many fans and much of the media had; that those two should net the Knicks more draft picks at the deadline. Instead, those two have had such a huge bearing on the team’s win column that we can expect the organization to attempt bringing them back this summer.
The team chose to stick with guys like Reggie Bullock, Elfrid Payton, and even Julius Randle. Aside from keeping Payton (even his supporters would admit he’s better off elsewhere), keeping much of this team’s core from last year has actually allowed for the continuity necessary for chemistry to grow. Guys like Randle and RJ Barrett have taken major leaps thanks to playing on a well-constructed roster lead by awesome additions on the sideline as well in Tom Thibodeau and Kenny Payne.
And yet, one offseason move still remains to bear a huge question mark.
What is Obi Toppin’s future with The Knicks?
The Knicks selection of Obi Toppin 8th overall without a doubt will prompt a conversation that lasts for years to come. The story of Toppin as a Knick and as an NBA player is far from being finished.
But, due to the unexpected events that have occurred, the futures of Toppin and the Knicks organization are in flux now more than ever.
And in my opinion, there are many signs at the moment that point to an Obi Toppin trade being inevitable. Here’s why…
Knicks: The Presence of Julius Randle
It is insane to think that in the time between the New York Knicks drafting Obi Toppin and the start of the 2020-21 season, the majority of the fan base was either indifferent to or all in on the idea of trading Julius Randle.
Being that both play the power forward position, a segment of the Knicks faithful wanted to move on from Randle, who had a polarizing first year in New York, to say the least, in favor of Toppin. The idea of Toppin getting a full opportunity to play a large role for the Knicks as a rookie paired nicely with the hope of being able to acquire value for Randle, forget his time here ever happened, and move on.
Thankfully, the organization wasn’t so quick to end Randle’s Knicks tenure.
To the pleasure and surprise of all basketball fans, Randle has taken a leap very few 26 year-olds do. Randle has produced such an impressive uptick in every single one of his stats that he is practically running away with the Most Improved Player award.
Randle has also managed to become a first-time all-star, making him arguably one of the 30 best players in the NBA. He even has a great case for making an All-NBA team.
Perhaps his most impressive achievement yet to come though is leading the Knicks to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Randle has pulled off the incredible 180 of going from failed consolation prize to franchise centerpiece.
All of that has left Toppin with nothing more than a bench role. He barely sees the floor, playing 11.8 minutes per game to Randle’s 37.
The Knicks would be crazy to not stick with Randle for the long haul. Neither he nor Toppin quite have the size or skills to play a full-time role at the small forward or center position.
Unfortunately for Toppin, this likely means any time spent in a New York Knicks uniform will result in a very secluded role. This is neither good for his development or his value as a player.
The immense success Randle has seen this season is the most likely thing to lead to Toppin being shipped elsewhere.
Obi Toppin has been underwhelming but remains promising
The second reason why Toppin can be traded is a double-edged sword.
On one hand, Toppin has struggled to acclimate his game to the NBA. This is despite being hailed as one of the most NBA-ready prospects of his draft.
The jump shot hasn’t been falling, but most importantly, he hasn’t been able to have much of an impact in games. Sure, there are plenty of reasons for this both fair and unfair to judge Toppin’s play on. his lack of playing time, a lack of playmakers on the roster, a hesitance to do just about anything but pass the ball as soon as he catches it, etc.
But one thing remains indisputable, Toppin frequently looks lost out on the floor. Rookies are allowed to struggle, but Toppin is 23 years old, a fossil as far as rookie players go.
If Toppin fails to be effective in his role, no matter how small that role is, it can be detrimental to a team whose timeline for winning has suddenly accelerated. If the Knicks want to be a winning basketball team now and for the years to come, they may need to leave Toppin behind, unable to wait for him to develop.
The other side of this argument is that for as much as Toppin has disappointed, there have been flashes of the player the New York front office thought they were getting out of Dayton.
Even with the fears surrounding his age, confidence, and skill level, I doubt too many teams wouldn’t still love to have Toppin be a big part of both their present and future.
I want to see Obi Toppin, a charismatic young kid, a supportive teammate, a disciplined student, and a born and bred New Yorker succeed in New York as a Knick. I think all Knick fans want that. However, if Toppin continues to struggle, his value will decrease.
Maybe the best scenario for both parties is to move on. The Knicks will have to consider trading Toppin before his value diminishes.
The Knicks are in win-now mode
It feels weird to say, but the New York Knicks are running a functional basketball team.
The team has done much more winning than anyone anticipated they’d be doing. With Julius Randle becoming an all-star, RJ Barrett ascending towards that status, and the Knicks forming a solid supporting cast and stellar coaching staff, the organization’s future looks brighter by the day.
For The Knicks to return to respectability and become a perennial playoff team, they need to set big goals and continue to make winning moves. The Knicks are no longer rebuilding. The road to getting to the next level is already being traveled.
Therefore, the organization will have several different paths towards building a better team, one of them of course being through trades.
New York has long been in the conversation for a team that looks to one day land a blockbuster trade, one like the Carmelo Anthony deal, but without the complete annihilation of all assets. The Knicks have a ton of great assets right now that can potentially be packaged to land stars like Bradley Beal, Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, and others.
Obi Toppin is one of those assets.
As mentioned, Toppin still holds a lot of promise. Even if his original ceiling of becoming a star himself is no longer realistic, he still can be a talent that can help garner a higher-caliber player. Toppin can even be moved in a deal that helps New York solve potential problems such as a need to add depth or skill to the roster. Toppin may even be moved in a deal to acquire players or picks that are flipped for an even better return.
Sometimes, there just isn’t room on an NBA roster for young prospects. The Knicks may one day need the space that Obi Toppin currently occupies if they want to improve. Toppin is simply not the type of player you hold onto when an offer is on the table that will quickly pay off.
None of this is to say that Obi Toppin can’t one day play a meaningful role on a more successful Knicks team. However, the facts currently heavily favor a Toppin trade so that The Knicks can evolve as a team. Toppin also wouldn’t deserve to have his talents limited in a reduced role as his playing career continues.