Knicks Add Jacob Toppin, OTE Standout; Roster Decisions Loom?

The New York Knicks are getting busy after the 58 announcements in Brooklyn despite lacking a pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The city never sleeps and neither does New York Knicks management, at least when it comes to immediately adding undrafted talent.

In the wee hours of Friday morning, after all 58 picks were called at the 2023 NBA Draft, the Knicks got busy on the rookie free agent front. New York did not have a pick in the 2023 draft after trading their regularly scheduled pair of picks, including the 23rd overall choice (eventually used on Iowa's Kris Murray) that was sent to Portland in exchange for Josh Hart at the trade deadline. 

Keep track of all their post-draft signings below ...

Jaylen Martin, Overtime Elite

Martin, 19, has previously worked with Knicks royalty as his high school coach was Charlie Ward. He later averaged 14 points and 5.9 assists at the Atlanta-based prep league's runner-ups, the YNG Dreamerz. Before playing in European touring leagues, Martin finished second in OE's Most Improved Player voting. It could be hard for Martin to carve out a role for himself with so many guards on the Knicks' roster but he could be an intriguing name to watch come Summer League and G League action. (Shams Charania)

“I think Obi's waiting for his brother to get to the League…have a brotherly showdown"
— NBA Slam Dunk Contest’s Chuck Millan in February on Obi & younger brother Jacob Toppin

Think Jacob can take on his new Knicks teammate? pic.twitter.com/KWz8THhiTF

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) June 23, 2023

Jacob Toppin, Kentucky

Toppin's arrival doesn't have the fanfare his brother Obi's carried, but he could be an intriguing addition. Jacob is a relatively leaner version of his older sibling (both stand at 6-foot-9 but Jacob is just over 25 pounds lighter) and each is similarly skilled: Jacob's senior year in Lexington hinted that he's likewise trying to sniff out greater opportunities from deep and he took advantage of an insertion into the starting lineup by doubling or more than doubling his previous career-best scoring and rebounding outputs. Some will say this is a metropolitan ploy to win back Obi's favor, but Toppin could be an intriguing independent project. (Adrian Wojnarowski)

The Roster Decisions Ahead

Both Martin and Toppin were inked to two-way deals, which puts the Knicks in a slight transactional quandary: the current roster already has already used its pair of two-way allotment on 2022 second-round pick Trevor Keels and February arrival Duane Washington Jr. Several names are likely on their way off the Knicks' regular 15-man front (Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose, for example, are all but assured new homes) but neither Keels nor Washington have done much in a New York uniform to warrant full-on inclusion quite yet. 

All sides involved should likely get an opportunity to prove why they deserve those spots at the upcoming Summer League activities in Las Vegas, where the Knicks will be looking to build upon a runner-up finish primarily built by the efforts of starter Quentin Grimes.

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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