Obi Toppin was supposed to be a transition weapon. He was so much more in year one with the Indiana Pacers

Toppin had a great first year with the Pacers

Feb 12, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — Many thought that Obi Toppin would be a good basketball fit with the Indiana Pacers, but few knew what to expect when it came to Toppin's fit behind the scenes.

The Pacers acquired Toppin in a trade with the New York Knicks last summer. Two future second-round picks were sent out while the young, athletic forward came to Indiana. Players and coaches gushed about the idea of Toppin fitting in thanks to his abilities in transition, and the Dayton product was looking forward to being back in the midwest.

Running alongside Tyrese Haliburton in the open floor has helped many players shine, and the thought was that Toppin would be no exception. What is impossible to know is how well a player will fit into a team's culture. And on a Pacers roster that is a close-knit group, the right attitude is important.

Toppin's fit behind the scenes ended up being just as strong as it was on the court. Look no further than his end-of-season exit interview, where Toppin was sitting on the dais fielding questions about his future with the campaign over. To his right sat young guard Andrew Nembhard.

"Now that it's over, I'm just going to be chillin', right?" Toppin said when asked about his summer before a fist bump with Nembhard. At that moment, their bond was clear. Toppin was asked a serious question about his future and turned it into a light moment with his teammate.

Often, Toppin showed that side of his character. He bonded with his fellow Pacers at every turn. When needed, he kept practice light. In an instant, he could focus. That's how he was able to improve his three-point percentage and how he quickly became a great culture fit.

It helped that the team was around his age. They have similar interests and battled on the hardwood in college. Everyone gets along. That can be an intimidating environment to enter, but it wasn't for Toppin.

"We're all young on this team. We have a lot more years in this league. This whole year, we grew as teammates," he said. "We grew as a whole culture. [It] felt like everybody poured in everything they could for this organization every single day." While the season didn't end the way the team hoped, those actions were meaningful.

It helped Toppin's fit that he was a useful player. The Ex-Knick entered Indiana as a high flier who opened up the game with vertical spacing and transition brilliance. In college, he proved to have mid-range class, but most viewed him as a rim runner and stylish finisher in the NBA,

Those things all proved to be true. But what really made Toppin a wonderful fit was his improved shooting and offensive rebounding. Indiana needed someone to hit the glass hard — it was often Toppin. They needed a way to space the floor more often, so the young forward spent hours working on his technique and made over 40% of his threes. Suddenly, transition play was not a requirement for Toppin to be at his best.

After his skill growth, he could fit in almost any lineup and play at any pace. For a versatile Pacers team that called their offensive style 'random', that all proved to be very important. Toppin played at center and, on rare occasions, on the wing. His new skills were vital. His fit was essential.

That type of player, and one who slid right in culturally, is exactly what Indiana hoped to grab when they traded for Obi Toppin. He had a certain gravity as a person and backed it up with a career-year on the hardwood. And in the postseason, he was as focused as anyone.

"We weren't really thinking about that. We were just thinking about getting a win," he said when asked if playing against the Knicks in the playoffs (or Aaron Nesmith playing against his former team) was distracting. It wasn't for either of them.

"There's a lot of good that came out of this season, and we don't want to overlook that," Toppin said that night.

Now, Toppin is a free agent. Likely, he will be a restricted free agent, meaning Indiana can keep him if they match an offer from another team or simply agree on a new deal themselves. And general manager Chad Buchanan already shared that the team would like to keep Toppin around if the business side of basketball allows it.

"Very happy with the fit. He seems to be happy here too as well. Would like to continue the relationship," Buchanan said of Toppin's free agency. "It's all part of the business when you get into a contract situation. But, really happy with Obi as a Pacer."

Free agency could start as soon as tomorrow — one day following the conclusion of the NBA Finals. Perhaps Toppin and the Pacers agree to terms quickly. He was, after all, a great fit on and off the court.

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