With how good the New York Knicks have looked all season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Leon Rose and the front office look to make some more “win now” moves in the off-season. This could potentially include shipping off third-year power forward Obi Toppin for a more consistent veteran.
Toppin has had some moments of excellence during his tenure in New York, however, this season has been a low point for the 25-year-old, and the combo of poor play and being utilized incorrectly has created a recipe for disaster that could result in his trade.
If this becomes the case, we’re sure that teams will be incredibly interested in bringing Toppin in, as his incredible potential as a finisher has really yet to be realized thanks to some interesting coaching decisions by Tom Thibodeau.
Here are three teams who could be in on a potential Obi Toppin trade sweepstakes:
3. Charlotte Hornets
The thought of a LaMelo Ball and Obi Toppin pick and roll is something dreams are made of, and the Hornets should definitely jump on this potential trade if the opportunity is made available. Who knows whether or not Toppin would start in Charlotte, however, he would fit perfectly in their system.
Charlotte ranks seventh amongst all teams in pace this season, so adding a player like Toppin to their roster will only make this stat better. Regardless of whether or not it’s Ball or Terry Rozier, we know Toppin will make a deadly high-flying pick and roll regardless of who the ball handler is.
Alongside this Toppin’s ability as a stretch four could serve tons of purpose under the right circumstances. By this, we mean not being solely used as a catch-and-shoot power forward and taking his three-point attempts from 3.3 to 1.5-ish.
Obviously, Toppin isn’t some sort of spectacular shooter, but in the pick-and-pop play, he could finally become a genuine stretch four.
Toppin would immediately be the Hornets’ backup power forward if traded there and could potentially start over P.J. Washington depending on the situation. This sort of match could make for some of the most exciting basketball in the league.
2. Sacramento Kings
With just how incredible the Kings have been this season, we would not be surprised in the slightest if they decided to make a move or two to improve their roster. This could potentially mean moving on from backup power forward Trey Lyles.
While Lyles has probably been better than Toppin this season, I don’t think there are many doubts that Toppin would be a better fit under Mike Brown. The Kings have had a historically great offense this season, so adding a player who could potentially provide more on that side of the ball in addition to upping their already high pace could pay dividends.
Honestly, a straight swap between Lyles and Toppin could work out well for both teams. While the Knicks more likely than not would have to send some sort of additional assets, adding Lyles in place of Toppin could improve the bench unit drastically.
Toppin would fit near perfectly with the Kings’ system and Lyles would do the same with the Knicks, providing some much-needed three-point shooting and defense to a New York bench that really needs it.
Similar to his fit with the Hornets, watching Toppin in this Kings offense would be incredibly fun to watch for all fans of basketball.
1. Indiana Pacers
It was heavily rumored that the Pacers were interested in trading for Toppin prior to the trade deadline this season, so it makes sense that they could potentially be interested in him again this offseason.
More likely than not, the Knicks would be packaging Toppin alongside another player and looking for a player like Buddy Hield or Myles Turner. Either of these players would make a pretty big difference for the Knicks on either side of the ball and are definitely guys they should pursue.
If you thought a Ball and Toppin pick and roll would be incredible, I can only imagine how great this would look with Tyrese Haliburton and Toppin. Not only would this be a near-perfect fit, but Haliburton’s playmaking would likely help Toppin become a much better shooter than he currently is.
Throwing Toppin into a well-spaced system that will help him achieve his potential as a finisher would do wonders for his career. The Knicks have not really provided him with either of these throughout his career thus far, but the Pacers would if they trade for him.
Playing in a system that doesn’t relegate Topping to being a catch-and-shoot big man will drastically improve his chances of being the star player he was meant to be. Considering this almost definitely won’t happen in New York, throwing Toppin in the mix of any of these teams could make a drastic difference for both Toppin and the team that opts to trade for him.