Things ‘Could Get Ugly’ Between Knicks and Obi Toppin: Report

Obi Toppin, New York Knicks


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Obi Toppin of the New York Knicks looks on during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Coming in on his third season with the New York Knicks, the franchise’s faithful followers are hoping to see a bigger role and more minutes bestowed to 24-year-old big man Obi Toppin in 2022-23.

However, because Julius Randle is still found on the roster, it is the belief of many that, despite the pleas and desires of the fanbase, being they both slot in at the same position seeing a significant bump in playing time may be a hard thing to come by for the former eighth overall pick.

With this harsh reality, considering the fact that Toppin is approaching extension eligibility, an anonymous NBA general manager told Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney that this could prove to be quite problematic for both him and the front office when it comes time to enter the negotiation stage.

“They can only play him so much as long as Randle is there, it is really difficult to get both of those guys on the floor at the same time. They are coming up on an extension decision for him next summer, too, and that is going to get complicated,” the executive told Deveney.

The general manager would continue by stating that if Toppin manages to show significant improvements in his game whilst serving in a similar role to last season, he could be inclined to seek greener pastures in free agency.

“If Toppin builds on his progress but still can’t get minutes next season, heading into the extension summer, that situation could get ugly. Obi will want to get paid but the Knicks won’t be in position to do that.”

With year one of Randle’s four-year, $117 million extension kicking in this season, if Toppin were to ink his own fresh new deal, assuming the 2021 All-Star isn’t traded, he’d almost certainly continue to struggle to come across a larger role within New York’s rotation.

Should he desire to become a focal point within a team’s scheme, perhaps parting ways with the Knicks at some point down the road would be his best shot at achieving such a goal.


Toppin Has Proven His Worth as a Starter

Since entering the league back in 2020, Obi Toppin has predominantly been used in a reserve role for the New York Knicks.

With his rather low usage, his per-game production has resulted in underwhelming career averages of just 6.7 points and 3.0.

However, when given increased opportunities within the rotation, Toppin has only managed to increase his level of play along the way, especially when found in the starting lineup.

The third-year big has been stellar both from the eye test as well as by the numbers when found within New York’s first-five unit, as he holds impressive averages of 20.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and just shy of a block on 57% shooting from the floor and 43.6% shooting from deep in such a role.

With Toppin in the starting rotation last season, the Knicks went on to capture two of their most lopsided victories of the 2021-22 season, downing the Washington Wizards 114-92 on April 8 while also routing the Orlando Magic 118-88 on April 3.


Knicks Wing Working On His Craft

After having inked a new contract extension of his own this offseason, fourth-year wing RJ Barrett recently told KnicksFanTV that he’s been grinding in the gym this offseason, working on aspects of his game that he believes could help him, as well as the team moving forward.

“I’ve really been working on, just, stuff off the dribble, moves off the dribble, you know, being able to make shots off the dribble. And my finishing, you know, I think those two areas, being able to clean those up will help me and the team out along the way,” Barrett said.

The 24-year-old also noted that one of his goals for this season is being in consideration for a spot on the All-Star team.

“I’m ready to get in the conversation. I’m ready to showcase what I can do,” Barrett said. “Every year I’ve been getting better, so there’s no better time than now.”

Just last season, through 70 games played RJ Barrett saw himself finish with career-highs in numerous statistical categories, posting averages of 20.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per contest.

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