Indiana emerging as trade destination for Obi Toppin

Two players on the Knicks roster — Obi Toppin and Evan Fournier — are top trade candidates with no clear path to playing time in Tom Thibodeau’s rotation. Fournier stated he’d be surprised if he’s on the roster next season. A source said his representatives have been working to “get him somewhere else.” -via New York Daily News / June 23, 2023

My understanding of the Toppin situation is this: if the Knicks create an opportunity for Toppin to play more – and regularly – there would be no reason to trade him. But if the Knicks can’t find a way to create more minutes for Toppin, the player and team will work together to try and find a new home for Toppin. -via SportsNet New York / June 22, 2023

Head coach Tom Thibodeau had benched Obi Toppin for the third and fourth quarters of a Game 4 loss in the team’s second-round NBA playoff matchup against the Miami Heat. The result handed New York a 3-1 series deficit, one loss short of elimination. Meanwhile, the decision not to play Toppin led to an out-of-character moment for the usually mild-mannered power forward. According to league sources who were present, once the final buzzer sounded Toppin aired his grievances to Thibodeau. The 24-year-old wants to play, and he wants to win. That evening, neither happened. An intense verbal altercation occurred between the player and coach as the group trekked to the Kaseya Center visiting locker room in Miami. It spilled into the postgame meeting once the doors closed. -via The Athletic / June 21, 2023