The New York Knicks had unparalleled success last season compared to what they accomplished over the past 25 years. While the front office has put together a strong roster capable of competing for a title, that doesn’t mean they’ve done everything perfectly.
Knicks insider Ian Begley offered up what he thought has been the franchise’s biggest mistake over the past few years. Responding to fan questions, Begley said New York’s trading of Obi Toppin has turned out to be one of their biggest missteps.
“This front office has done really well. But even the best front offices make mistakes. The one I look at is Obi Toppin,” Begley wrote. “Toppin never had a clear path to significant minutes because he was behind an All-NBA player in Julius Randle.”
Toppin averaged nine points and 4.7 rebounds in 19 minutes a game for the Indiana Pacers against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. He also had some historic performances in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Toppin showed potential while in New York, but now in Indiana, the former College Player of the Year looks to have finally found a rhythm and his true place on an NBA roster.
Knicks Didn’t Let Toppin Shine
Coming to New York as the eighth overall pick in 2020, Toppin’s college career painted the picture that he was going to immediately be an impactful NBA player. While he struggled in his rookie year, the Knicks put him on the shelf behind Randle and their other forwards.
Toppin, known for his athleticism and defensive versatility, never had the chance to do what he does best. Instead, he was either asked to take a big role at the beginning or come off the bench and play a mini-Randle role, something he just wasn’t fit to do.
Instead, he was traded to Indiana in the summer of 2023, where he quietly turned into one of their best role players on a team filled with great role players. Since arriving at the Pacers, Toppin’s points, rebounds, assists, steals, and shooting percentage have all increased.
“The Knicks then traded Toppin for a minimal return and he developed into an important rotation player for the Eastern Conference champion Pacers,” Begley added.
In return, New York got back two second-round picks, neither turning out to be players on this current Knicks roster. After seeing Toppin’s impact on the Pacers this year, they would certainly love to have a player of his caliber off the bench, especially for a team that needs all the bench depth it can get.
Begley On NY’s Moves This Summer
In the same mailbag, Begley responded to multiple questions about any other moves New York will make this summer. They’ve already added Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, but have another roster spot open.
Rumors say they are targeting Ben Simmons, Russell Westbrook, or another guard like Malcolm Brogdon in hopes of finding another playmaker behind Brunson.
“Ben Simmons is certainly a candidate for the Knicks’ final roster spot. As of earlier this week, New York continued to show strong interest in signing Simmons as teams in on Simmons await his decision,” Begley wrote.
“Any team that is in the market for a ball-handler would have to at least be considering Malcolm Brodgon,” Belgey added. “A few years ago, the Knicks did not have strong interest in trading for Brodgon in the middle of the season. But this is a different team with different circumstances.”
It comes down to whether New York wants another Brunson backup or someone more similar to that of Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. Toppin would be perfect, but they gave up on him years ago, now seeing him flourish on a team that finally found a way to have him contribute to winning.
Regardless, the Knicks are in a good spot. It seemed the right move to trade Randle for Karl-Anthony Towns, and they’ve had a good offseason so far. If trading away Toppin was the worst move the front office has made over the past few years, things could be worse.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Insider Reveals Knicks’ Biggest Mistake Over Last Few Years appeared first on Heavy Sports.