Raptors-Pacers trade nearly created wild Knicks ripple effect
The New York Knicks traded Obi Toppin to the Pacers over the summer, a move that was hard for some fans to accept. Midway through the 2023-24 season, it was thought Toppin could be on the move again. Strangely enough, the move would've allowed him to reunite with two of his former Knicks teammates.
With the trade deadline three weeks away, Pascal Siakam trade talks started to heat up. Several teams expressed interest in the forward, including Indiana. On Tuesday night, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported the Raptors and Pacers were in "active talks" (subscription required) on a package including Bruce Brown and three first-round picks.
On Wednesday, Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported that Toppin had been included in the trade frameworks that the two sides discussed.
"On Tuesday, the Pacers’ latest outgoing framework included 25-year-old reserve shooter Jordan Nwora, league sources told Yahoo Sports, with the final salary needed to match Siakam’s $37.8 million number being either Obi Toppin or Jalen Smith."
- Jake Fischer, Yahoo Sports
Later in the afternoon, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Raptors and Pacers had finalized a deal.
BREAKING: The Indiana Pacers are finalizing a trade to acquire All-Star F Pascal Siakam in a deal that will send Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks to the Toronto Raptors. New Orleans will be a third team in deal, sending Kira Lewis to the Raptors.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 17, 2024
Obi Toppin could've reunited with RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley in Raptors-Pacers trade
At least for the last part of the 2023-24 season, Obi Toppin, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley could've been reunited in Toronto. It's been strange enough to see Barrett and Quickley suit up for the Raptors, so imagine what it would've been like to see Toppin thrown into the mix.
Like Quickley, Toppin will be a restricted free agent this summer. The Raptors have enough money to keep IQ, but the guard will still have a solid market. Toppin's next deal won't be nearly as much as Quickley's, but he could've increased his value if he had been traded to Toronto, where he could've started.
The Knicks will host the new-look Raptors on Saturday, a game that Toppin would've most likely been eligible to play in if he had been included in the package. It's probably for the best that he wasn't, as it'll be tough enough to see IQ skipping around on the court as a visitor.
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