The New York Knicks don’t have a pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but that could change. The front office could decide to trade maybe with a late first-round pick. There are a number of ways the Knicks could do this, including a deal with the Pacers involving Obi Toppin.
The 25-year-old striker’s first three seasons in the league did not go as hoped after being drafted no. Those are not numbers you would expect from a lottery. It’s not because Toppin is a failure. His adjustment with the Knicks has been complicated by the rise of Julius Randle, who had his first All-Star season when Toppin was a rookie.
An interesting trade scenario that has been proposed has surfaced on Twitter. Ryan Hammer pitched a mock first-round draft that saw the Knicks select the No. 29 via a trade to the Pacers involving Toppin.
New York would send Obi Toppin and a 2024 first-round pick to Indiana for guard Chris Duarte and the #1 first-round pick. 29 of 2023 by the Pacers. The Knicks currently have four first-round picks in 2024, but only one of those picks is theirs.