The Indiana Pacers have already made a move ahead of the 3 PM ET trade deadline by acquiring Jordan Nwora and two second-round picks in the three-team Jae Crowder trade with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets, but it seems that they are far from done making their presence felt in the rumor mill.
Knicks reporter Ian Bagley revealed that Indiana has been one of the teams who have shown interest in New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin, who has repeatedly been mentioned previously as a widely available trade candidate.
Indiana is among teams who have shown interest in NYK’s Obi Toppin. If they don’t have plans to play him, Knicks should do right by Toppin and find him a new home today, in my opinion. One team said NYK had wanted package w/significant draft picks for Obi: https://t.co/Z5ZrQxwQGp
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) February 9, 2023
The Indiana Pacers are reportedly still in the running for Knicks’ Obi Toppin
Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks have been infamously reserved about playing their young players, and Obi Toppin is certainly a subject of that narrative. Despite showing flashes left and right, the high-leaping big man has been tethered to a rather minimal role this season, logging just 15.1 minutes so far, a two-minute decrease from last season.
New York is said to be quite ambitious on this front, though, as they are reported to have set a significant asking price for the 24-year-old’s services. Demand could change that, but the Pacers are only one team among an expectedly long list of suitors, meaning that they would have to be a bit more aggressive in engaging the Knicks.
Indiana has some new assets it could move in the form of second-rounders, but to separate themselves from the pack, the Pacers may also need to part with a rotation player with the Knicks safely in the playoff race out East.
Toppin could easily help Indiana as a versatile player in a position of need, though hypothetically, he will have some competition on the roster for rotation minutes. nevertheless, he would undoubtedly be a welcome addition to a Pacers team in need of further youth-centric reinforcements.
The 2022 NBA Trade Deadline is basically just a flick away, so stay tuned for what moves the Indiana Pacers could make in clutch fashion.