Knicks Make Roster Move With Recent First-Round Pick On Thursday

On Thursday, the New York Knicks sent Obi Toppin down to the Westchester Knicks in the NBA G League and they recalled him later on the same day.

The New York Knicks currently find themselves 21-18 in the Eastern Conference and holding on to a Top-6 spot in the conference.

Their talented trio of Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett has been playing well and they are beginning to develop some great chemistry with one another, but the Knicks as a whole are still searching for ways to get more production from their depth.

One player they are high on and looking forward to getting back to full capacity is 2020 first-round pick Obi Toppin, who was recently cleared to return from a non-displaced fracture in his right fibula head.

While he was made available for Wednesday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, Toppin did not play and on Thursday morning, the team sent Toppin to the Westchester Knicks in the NBA G League to get some more practice time.

Just a couple of hours later, the team announced that they have recalled Obi Toppin and that he has rejoined the Knicks ahead of their road game against the Toronto Raptors on Friday.

Knicks recall Toppin https://t.co/691K50AXQR

— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) January 5, 2023

Toppin, 24, was drafted 7th overall by the Knicks in 2020 and his time with the team has been a little bumpy to this point.

Unlike most Top-10 picks who instantly have a starter’s role or key rotation spot with their team, Toppin has been in and out of the Knicks’ rotations even though he has played well when on the floor.

In 25 games this season, Toppin has averaged 7.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 42.1 percent from the floor. For his career, Toppin has averaged 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in about 14.7 minutes per game.

Having elite-level athleticism and length, Obi Toppin certainly has a lot of potential and a lot to give to his team. The only question though is if the Knicks will truly give him the opportunity to prove himself, especially with them already having Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle in the frontcourt.

He will have his chance to return to the floor for the Knicks on Friday for the first time since December 7. Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!

Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episodes every Friday. 

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Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!

Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episodes every Friday.