The Knicks have picked up their team option on forward Obi Toppin for the 2023/24 season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Toppin’s fourth-year option will pay him a guaranteed salary of $6,803,012.
Toppin, the eighth overall pick in the 2020 draft, hasn’t played a significant role so far for the Knicks, averaging just 11.0 minutes per game in 62 appearances as a rookie and 17.1 MPG in 72 games last season. However, he has been increasingly productive in his limited minutes. He’s averaging 9.3 PPG and 3.7 RPG on 57.1% shooting through three games (16.0 MPG) in 2022/23.
Toppin will earn approximately $5.35MM this season before making $6.8MM in the final year of his rookie contract in 2023/24. He’ll be up for a rookie scale extension during the 2023 offseason and would be eligible for restricted free agency in 2024 if he doesn’t sign a new deal before then.
The Knicks have two more rookie scale option decisions to make besides Toppin’s before next Monday’s deadline, though both seem fairly simple. We can presumably count on the team picking up Immanuel Quickley‘s fourth-year option ($4.17MM) and Quentin Grimes‘ third-year option ($2.39MM) for ’23/24.
Obi & Fournier to Sacramento for Harrison Barnes, Kezie Okpala & a future 2nd works nicely for both the Kings & the Knicks… Knicks create even more cap space this summer & bring in a guy who fits their needs more in Barnes… Kings get a perfect running (& jumping) mate for DFox & clear the wayvfor Keegan Murray to get the type of touches/looks that Barnes was getting in Sac the past few seasons.
Terrible trade for the Knicks. Fournier only has one year remaining on his deal after this year. They’re not going to give away Toppin to dump that. Knicks also want to try out Grimes at SG once he’s healthy, as Fournier’s backup and hopeful successor, so Barnes is not needed.
They’re not just dumping Fournier’s salary tho. They’d also be upgrading at forward bc Barnes fits their team & what they need rn way more than Obi. Fournier being shipped out would give Grimes (& Cam Reddish) more pt & give RJ more space to be that secondary playmaker behind (& eventually alongside) Brunson & Randle. Even Okpala fits better, as a guy whi can guard big wings, than Obi or Fournier. Obi really doesn’t have much of a path to a starting spot in NY. Randle is currently in his prime & the best player on the team. Obi can’t be expected to outplay that guy. A change of scenery is best for him & getting a champ like Barnes back would def make them better
Barnes is not nearly enough of an upgrade over Fournier to justify dumping Toppin. I get your justification and it makes sense on some level, but Toppin has too much potential and is getting better all the time. I cannot imagine them even considering moving him for something as unimpressive as Harrison Barnes’s expiring contract.
Also Okpala hasn’t really shown anything yet.
Okpala has shown himself to be capable of guarding the best scoring big wings in the league… Barnes is sorta perfect fit for Brunson, Randle & Thibs. He’s a seasoned vet, has a composed game & has shown ability to be 1 of the better c&s 3pt shooting forwards in the league. He’s perfect complement to the drive & kick guys NYK has in Rose, Brunson, RJ, Randle, IQ & more. Obi is much better on a fast paced, up & down type team which is the opposite of what the Knicks are. Are they gonna just keep him behind Randle for the next 3,4yrs, even after they have to extend him? They become a playoff contender now & create way more flexibility this summer by giving up on Obi now… if you think Barnes isn’t good enough tho who else should they target?
I don’t really think they should target anyone. There aren’t really any moves they can make that will make them title contenders.
imo, the goal for the front office is a 6-8 seed. If all of the young guys play well, including Toppin/Grimes/IQ/McBride, I could even see them doing a soft sell by flipping Rose to a title contender for a 2nd (provided Rose stays healthy and plays well). I do not see them as buyers, particularly if it means trading away young talent like Toppin.
As a fan, I hope Toppin can even push his way into getting some minutes with the first unit and hopefully getting to 20-24 minutes per game. Put Toppin at SF, shift RJ to SG, bench Fournier after the first 6 or so minutes.
Obi can’t shoot or dribble well enough to play the 3 much. The way for him to flourish in the league is as a 4 similar to John Collins/Jerami Grant/Aaron Gordon. If you’re choosing to ride with IQ/Obi/Grimes/McBride, 1st off why lol? What have these guys shown to make you think they’d lead NYK to anything but a lot of Ls? None of em is a #1 option, it remains to be seen if any could ever even be a #2 for a playoff contender (i guess RJ could). But anyway if you’re riding with them you should be looking at moving off Randle & Fournier to maximize ability to bring in that #1 (& possibly #2) scorer that you’d lack, in free agency. And to just go ahead & tank. I mean if you’re shooting for the play in then you might as well just tank
“Obi can’t shoot or dribble well enough to play the 3 much.”
That’s irrelevant if he’s playing the 3 when Randle, RJ, and Brunson are on the court. He won’t need to. Positional distinctions are not super relevant in 2022.
“If you’re choosing to ride with IQ/Obi/Grimes/McBride, 1st off why lol?”
Because that’s their roster? lol? You want to trade away a promising, improving, very athletic young guy like Toppin for one year of Harrison Barnes? You’re talking about them not having a #1 option and your answer is Harrison flippin’ Barnes? Do you have a clue here? There is no chance on earth any front office would trade Toppin and Fournier for one year of Harrison Barnes and a guy (Okpala) who is so bad he can’t even crack the Kings’s rotation.
I’m pretty sure they’ve tried playing Randle & Obi together with little to no success. And in that scenario Obi would still be playing the 4. But if Obi & Randle could play together that would solve some issues. So farthey haven’t. Either way Barnes would be an upgrade & Obi would be better off in a different system… lol their roster is subpar. Yes lol I’d def trade that promising, improving, athletic young guy. What is his future in NY? He’s been stuck behind Randle for yrs & that’s gonna continue to be the case while they’re on the same team. The team is by your own admission mediocre in a best case scenario. Something has to shake. Unless they’re gonna extend Obi & pay him $10-15M/yr to continue to back up Randle in a system that stifles his main strengths, then they should use him to improve their team now & in the future like this deal would. Smh u say Kezie hasn’t cracked the rotation even tho he’s a starter. You keep saying it’s only a yr of Barnes that they’re trading for like he’s gonna retire after the season or like NYK couldn’t use the tens of millions in cap room that this trade would provide them lol. I understand you like Obi. If that’s the case you should be pushing for Thibs to get fired & Randle to get traded bc that’s the only way he’s ever gonna shine with the Knicks
“Smh u say Kezie hasn’t cracked the rotation even tho he’s a starter.”
He’s playing 12 minutes a game! Do you have any idea what you’re talking about???
“You keep saying it’s only a yr of Barnes that they’re trading for like he’s gonna retire after the season”
Because it is literally one year of Barnes! His contract is over after this season! Get a clue! If you don’t know what you’re talking about, you don’t have to post. Jesus.
If you throw in a 1st. I can do that. Maybe
I just like Obi1 …….