This isn’t something that New York Knicks fans want to see happen, but it’s something that could happen. If Julius Randle stays in New York (and he’s said that he will), various teams could call the Knicks’ front office to inquire about Obi Toppin.
As long as Randle’s in the starting lineup, Toppin’s going to play a limited role. The 2020 lottery pick was allowed to excel at the end of the 2021-22 season because Randle was out and the Knicks had already been eliminated from the playoffs.
Toppin’s shown that with continued development and time on the court, which isn’t a guarantee under Tom Thibodeau, he’s capable of being a starter in the NBA.
Randle signed a four-year, $117 million extension with New York before the start of this past year and it’ll kick in at the start of 2022-23. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026, but in 2025-26, he has a $24.5 million player option.
Even if the Knicks wanted to trade Randle before that point, it’s going to be easier said than done, especially given how he performed this past season.
With that being said, moving Toppin isn’t as absurd as it sounds, although it’s not something that should happen. Here are three teams that could call up the front office this summer to try to persuade New York to say goodbye to the young fan favorite.
3 teams that could trade for New York Knicks’ forward Obi Toppin
3: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that thanks to mastermind GM Sam Presti, has a bright future. And it could get even brighter if the organization brings a budding star like Toppin into the mix.
Oklahoma City’s starting power forward for the majority of the 2021-22 season was Darius Bazley. He averaged 10.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 69 games (53 starts). Bazley shot 42.2% from the field and 29.7% from the 3-point line.
Bazley’s production dropped from 2020-21 to this past year, while Toppin drastically improved with an increased amount of playing time. Bazley averaged 27.9 minutes during the regular season while Toppin averaged 17.1.
There was talk of the Thunder trading up in the 2020 draft to choose Toppin, but Oklahoma City remained at No. 17 with its pick via Minnesota. That pick ended up being Aleksej Pokusevski, who is the power forward for the team’s second unit.
If Presti’s interested in getting an upgrade with a high ceiling, he should have an eye on Toppin. It might be tough to envision as a Knicks fan, but a lineup consisting of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Toppin would be a lot of fun. And the best part is that the Thunder would get to maintain their youth in the process.