Here’s why Julius Randle’s resurgence could lead to Knicks fans’ heartbreak
After a down year that led to many New York Knicks fans wishing for Julius Randle to be traded, the 28-year-old forward is playing at an All-Star level again. He earned his first All-Star honor in 2021 and he’s on his way to earning his second in 2023. Randle had an exceptional month in December and has picked up in the new year where he left off in 2022.
Knicks fans should be thrilled that Randle is playing at a high level again, however, Obi Toppin’s future in New York has become even more clouded. Toppin’s been out with a lower leg fracture and last played on Dec. 7, but on Wednesday morning, he was upgraded to questionable for the team’s matchup against the Spurs later this evening.
During the time that Toppin has been out, Heavy’s Sean Deveney reported that “an anonymous Eastern Conference executive” said that New York has engaged in trade talks with Indiana regarding Toppin. It’s important to remember that’s just a rumor, but given how well Randle has been playing and the fact that Toppin will be due for an extension over the summer, the Knicks could be looking to trade him ahead of the Feb. 9 deadline.
If Toppin is dealt, that’ll be tough news for fans to swallow. He was the No. 8 draft pick in 2020 and hasn’t been given a fair shot. A large part of that is because Randle’s breakout season happened right after Toppin was drafted, and now, Randle is on the path to having a bounce-back season after a disappointing 2021-22.
What does Julius Randle’s Knicks resurgence mean for Obi Toppin?
Julius Randle is doing what fans have been wanting him to do and it’d be absurd to place any blame on him if Obi Toppin ends up being traded. But fans are well aware of how Tom Thibodeau has kept Toppin on a short leash, even though the 24-year-old has proven that he deserves to have more minutes off the bench.
Deveney wrote that the anonymous executive said that Toppin “needs minutes” and with the Pacers being a rebuilding team, Indiana would be a “really good match” for the forward.
Although it would be very bittersweet to see Toppin go, Knicks fans can’t argue against him deserving more minutes. With Obi now in his third season, it’s unfair to him to not get the playing time that he has earned to continue his development. It’s an unfortunate situation.
None of this is to say that Toppin will be traded, but if it were to happen, it’d make sense. There’s always the possibility that Randle will go on another decline though, which would make the void that Toppin left behind even bigger. New York would need to find another backup if Toppin ends up being dealt.
With both Toppin and Immanuel Quickley being extension eligible during the offseason, the front office has a few tough decisions to make.
If Obi Toppin’s time in NYC is coming to an end, the hope should be that he’ll go to a team where he’ll be able to blossom into the player that Knicks fans know he can be. Would that be hard to see? Yes. Does Toppin deserve that, though? Also, yes.
There’s a little over a month left until the deadline, so time will tell.
