Obi Toppin Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trade Rumors: Lillard, Harden, Brogdon, Fournier, Rockets

July 2nd, 2023 at 12:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Trail Blazers told rival teams that they are “open for business everywhere in the league” regarding a Damian Lillard trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (YouTube link).

Lillard, who asked for a trade on Saturday after weeks of speculation, reportedly hopes to end up in Miami, where he could be part of a title contender. However, the Heat may not be able to offer the best trade package, and Portland GM Joe Cronin intends to focus on the team’s needs rather than Lillard’s preference while negotiating a deal.

“For Portland, they’re going to go out into the marketplace and try to find the best deal they can,” Wojnarowski said, “a combination of young players, draft picks, salary cap relief, all the things you want when a star of Damian Lillard’s magnitude asks to be traded.”

Woj adds that he doesn’t expect a Lillard deal to be completed quickly and that Miami doesn’t have any advantage because Lillard wants to go there. The Blazers haven’t told Lillard whether they intend to comply with his request to join the Heat, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

There are more trade rumors to pass along:

The Sixers‘ asking price for James Harden has been “really high,” Wojnarowski said in the same segment, noting that president of basketball operations Daryl Morey tends to seek a lot in return when a star player wants to be traded. Harden picked up his $35.6MM player option this week, and reports have indicated that he wants to be dealt to the Clippers. Wojnarowski adds that it’s “not an easy trade to make” because Philadelphia has to get value in return to pair with MVP Joel Embiid and keep the team in title contention. Woj speculates that trade talks could extend beyond Summer League action.
The Celtics aren’t trying to trade Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, a source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Brogdon was involved in an early version of the Kristaps Porzingis deal, but that fell through when the Clippers pulled out due to medical concerns about Brogdon. Himmelsbach adds that Brogdon is expected to be ready for the start of next season, even though he’s considering surgery for a right elbow injury he suffered in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Knicks will continue to explore trades involving Evan Fournier, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv, but they don’t need to open any more cap flexibility to add Donte DiVincenzo after agreeing to send Obi Toppin to the Pacers. New York doesn’t seem to be actively pursuing either Lillard or Harden, according to Begley.
David Weiner of ClutchFans.net (Twitter link) suspects the Rockets will fold multiple reported trade agreements into their sign-and-trade deal for Dillon Brooks in order to maximize their cap room. After acquiring Patty Mills and using up their remaining cap space, Weiner posits, Houston will package Josh Christopher (to the Grizzlies), Usman Garuba and TyTy Washington (to the Hawks), and Mills (destination TBD), whose combined salaries will be enough to match Brooks’ expected first-year salary (approximately $21.6MM) without requiring room.

Pre-FA Updates: Toppin, Cavs, Niang, Strus, Draymond, Warriors, More

June 30th, 2023 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

With just minutes before free agency begins and a flurry of contract agreements are reported, we have a few items to pass along:

The Pacers have emerged as the leading candidate to trade for Knicks forward Obi Toppin, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who confirms that the two sides have recently been in contact about a potential Toppin deal, says New York is seeking draft compensation and notes that Indiana could potentially acquire the forward and his $6.8MM expiring contract using cap room, so the Knicks wouldn’t have to take a player back.
A scenario in which the Cavaliers sign Georges Niang and acquire Max Strus – either via sign-and-trade or by signing him outright – is being viewed as “increasingly likely,” according to Stein (Twitter link).
The latest whispers Stein from has heard from his sources suggest Draymond Green may get a four-year, $100MM deal to re-up with the Warriors (Twitter link).
Former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker is back with the team that drafted him, at least for a few games in July. The Bucks announced today that Parker is on their Las Vegas Summer League roster.
The Timberwolves have hired former NBA forward Corliss Williamson as an assistant coach, they announced today in a press release. Williams was previously a member of coaching staffs in Sacramento, Orlando, and Phoenix.

Atlantic Notes: Harris, West, Toppin, Celtics Moves

June 27th, 2023 at 10:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers forward Tobias Harris knows that his expiring $39MM+ contract could be included in a blockbuster trade this offseason. Harris also knows that a segment of Philadelphia fans hopes that will happen. However, Harris doesn’t want to leave, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.

“Casual Sixers fans, they’ll trade me for a Crumbl Cookie,” Harris said. “But at the end of the day, they have to realize that you’re not getting a 6-9 forward back who can damn near shoot 40 percent from 3, guard the other team’s best player, shoot, post up, drive and play 70-plus games a year. … I’m excited to come back, bring this group back, add a few pieces that help us out as a whole team and be ready to win.”

The Sixers forward is also hopeful James Harden will re-sign with the club. “There’s not many guys that can go out and drop 40 in a playoff game,” Harris said.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers are adding Doug West to Nick Nurse‘s coaching staff, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. West was an assistant to Nurse with the G League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
Obi Toppin‘s future with the Knicks seems cloudy and the New York Post’s Peter Botte speculates on potential landing spots for the backup power forward. Botte lists the Pacers, Clippers, Kings and Hawks among the potential trade partners for Toppin, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.
With the addition of Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics can now address potential depth issues at forward and guard, Jared Weiss of The Athletic writes. They might address those needs via a sign-and-trade involving restricted free agent Grant Williams. Any new additions will have to make up for the toughness and aggressiveness that Williams, if he leaves, and Marcus Smart brought to the table.

Knicks Rumors: Fournier, George, Toppin, DiVincenzo, McBride

June 22nd, 2023 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Evan Fournier‘s representatives are working to find a trade involving their client, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link). As Bondy notes, the news is hardly surprising, given that Fournier spoke after the Knicks‘ season ended about his expectation that he wouldn’t be back with the team in 2023/24, despite being owed a guaranteed salary of $18.9MM.

Finding a taker for Fournier won’t be easy for his reps, given that the veteran wing doesn’t have positive trade value even though he’s on a pseudo-expiring contract (his deal includes a 2024/25 team option). The Knicks will almost certainly have to package him with more valuable assets to get anything worthwhile in return.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

The Knicks and Clippers have been in touch about a possible Paul George trade, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). However, the star forward is unlikely to be moved, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says the Trail Blazers also expressed interest in building a deal around the No. 3 pick and George, and failed to gain any traction. The Clippers remain focused on building their roster around George and Kawhi Leonard, Fischer says.
Begley believes that the Knicks and Obi Toppin‘s camp may work together to find him a new home this offseason, unless the team makes other moves that open up more regular minutes for the former lottery pick (Twitter video link).
According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, Toppin and Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau had an “intense verbal altercation” following Game 4 of the club’s playoff series vs. Miami after the forward was held out of action for the entire second half. However, Katz clarifies that there doesn’t seem to be any lingering resentment related to that incident, and says the team didn’t show any interest in moving Toppin at the 2023 trade deadline. Katz also polled 15 executives about Toppin’s potential value on a rookie scale extension — 10 of those respondents suggested an annual salary between $10-15MM.
Several “influential” people within the Knicks organization are fans of swingman Donte DiVincenzo, who is expected to reach unrestricted free agency this offseason, per Begley.
Knicks guard Miles McBride has generated some interest from rival teams, according to Begley, who adds that McBride’s minimum-salary team option for 2023/24 looks like a lock to be exercised with or without a trade.

Atlantic Notes: Milton, Harris, Randle, Bridges, Toppin, Rajakovic

June 20th, 2023 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Shake Milton is the least likely of the Sixers’ free agents to re-sign with the club, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. Milton is looking for a opportunity to get an expanded role elsewhere, though that could change if the Sixers fail to re-sign James Harden.

There’s also no traction regarding a possible trade involving Tobias Harris and his expiring contract, Neubeck writes. There’s no sense of urgency to deal Harris, as the Sixers believe they’ll have multiple windows beyond this week to potentially move him. They’re not inclined to deal the veteran forward unless it improves their flexibility or top-end ceiling, Neubeck adds.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Julius Randle believes the Knicks are “not that far off” from being a championship team, he said on Paul George‘s Podcast P show (hat tip to SNY TV’s Ian Begley). “We got a great mixture of talent, bro. We’ve got young dudes, we’ve got guys going in their prime. So we’ve got a great mixture of guys and it’s like, ‘How do we keep getting better?’ So from a team standpoint, I think that’s where we at.”
Mikal Bridges believes that when injuries struck the Suns last season, he got a chance to showcase his offensive ability. That set him up to become a primary option after he was traded to the Nets, he told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “I always tell people I got traded at the right time with having pretty much the whole team out and being the guy for about a month and just going through the pains and the gains and growth throughout every day,” he said. “Having bad games and losing a lot to finally starting to get it going and start being efficient and trying to win games. And then once it kind of got to that and then that’s when I got traded. So it was perfect timing. I couldn’t have been traded at a better time.”
Obi Toppin’s trade value could be a late first-rounder in this year’s draft, a source told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. The Pacers could be a potential suitor for the Knicks’ backup power forward, Bondy suggests, since they were interested in him before last season’s trade deadline and possess two late first-round picks. However, Toppin has supporters within the organization and he would become more valuable to the Knicks if they deal Randle in a blockbuster.
Darko Rajakovic presented a straightforward approach during the interviewing process for the Raptors’ head coaching job, he told Serbian media outlet MozzartSport (hat tip to Eurohoops.net). “When I entered the whole process, I had no intention of pleasing anyone and simply wanted to present myself, who I am and what I am, what my beliefs are, and what my basketball philosophy is,’ he said. “In the end, they liked it the most, so they decided to hire me.”

New York Notes: Bridges, Lillard, Toppin, Brunson

May 27th, 2023 at 8:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mikal Bridges has already been mentioned in several offseason trade rumors, but Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) believes the Nets intend to build around him rather than trying to deal him for other assets. Lewis states that Bridges has already become “the face of the franchise” and has strong support from owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks.

Bridges posted career-best numbers after being acquired from Phoenix in February, averaging 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 27 games. He also emerged as a locker room leader and quickly won over Brooklyn fans with his style of play. He has a team-friendly contract that runs for three more seasons.

“I think he’s proven to a lot of people that his role can continue to get better and better and bigger and bigger,” Marks said. “But now that when the ball is in his hands in those key crucial moments of games, can he step up? Can he be that guy that we can rely on in big moments? I think we saw it a little bit in Phoenix when Devin Booker was out. He carried a considerable load for them. And then we saw this year where he came in and immediately was a crowd favorite.”

There’s more from New York:

The Nets have “genuine interest” in Damian Lillard if he asks the Trail Blazers for a trade, Lewis adds in another Post story. Lewis examines the various factors surrounding a potential Lillard trade, including his age, his contract, which will reach $63.2MM in 2026/27, and what Brooklyn would have to send to Portland in return. Lewis doesn’t expect Nets management to part with Bridges, so a deal would have to be built around Nic Claxton, with Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O’Neale thrown in for salary matching or possibly Ben Simmons if Brooklyn can include enough other pieces to convince the Blazers to take on his contract.
Obi Toppin was the first lottery pick made by the Knicks‘ current management team, but his time in New York could end this summer, suggests Steve Popper of Newsday. Toppin has been stuck behind Julius Randle, which has prevented him from getting the playing time he needs to develop his game. Popper adds that although Toppin averaged 21.8 PPG in the five starts he made this season, he doesn’t provide the defensive presence that coach Tom Thibodeau wants at power forward.
In a mailbag column, Fred Katz of The Athletic rates the Knicks‘ addition of Jalen Brunson last summer as the NBA’s best free agent signing since 2019.

Eastern Notes: Rivers, Knicks, Nets, Murphy

May 14th, 2023 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Now that the Sixers have been eliminated by the Celtics, is Doc Rivers a goner? Marc Stein wrote in his latest Substack article prior to Game 7 on Sunday that there have been recent murmurs Rivers’ status could become precarious if the team failed to close out the series. It wouldn’t be surprising, considering that proven coaches like Mike Budenholzer and Monty Williams have recently been dismissed due to postseason disappointments.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

With a wealth of extra draft picks and some solid young players, the Knicks could be in line for the next star who demands a trade, Eric Pincus writes for Bleacher Report. The salaries of Derrick Rose and Evan Fournier could help facilitate a deal, along with potential younger trade pieces such as Mitchell Robinson, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes and Obi Toppin.
After getting burned by trying to build around superstars, the Nets will be looking to build around players who want to stay with the franchise, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. GM Sean Marks will have a busy offseason but the thing he’ll be looking for the most is high-character guys who want to be part of the group. “It’s got to come authentically. It’s got to be real,” Marks said. “I mean, I think we’ve seen it before, not just here but around the league. You bring somebody in and it’s not authentic to who they are. We want to make sure people that want to come here want to be part of something special and being part of Brooklyn and part of this unique situation.”
Former Pistons executive Rob Murphy and his legal representatives are firing back at the woman who accused him of harassment, Tresa Baldas of the Detroit Free Press reports. His lawyer alleged the Pistons cleared his client months ago of sexual harassment following an internal investigation. The same counsel added that Murphy looks forward to defending his name through the judicial process.

Knicks Notes: Offseason Plans, Randle, Hart, Exit Interviews

May 13th, 2023 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Finding some shooters should be the Knicks‘ top offseason priority, writes Steve Popper of Newsday, who notes that the lack of reliable shot-makers contributed heavily to Friday’s Game 6 loss in Miami. On a night when Jalen Brunson scored 41 points and shot 14-of-22 from the field, the rest of the starters were just 5-of-32.

New York spent several weeks last summer trying to work out a trade for Donovan Mitchell, and Popper expects the front office to be aggressive again in pursuit of another star. Brunson has established himself as the cornerstone of the franchise, but Popper states that decisions have to be made on whether RJ Barrett and Julius Randle are part of the team’s core. He adds that Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley should be considered trade assets, along with the team’s deep collection of draft picks.

“Everybody is going back to zero,” coach Tom Thibodeau said after Friday’s loss. “We have to start all over. You have to work crazy all offseason to get ready for next season. Yeah, we would still like to be playing, that’s why you do it, if you’re a competitive person, that’s what you want. We fell short. There’s disappointment, but I think to look at it and say we learned a lot, let’s use this as motivation and get better. That’s what you have to do.”

There’s more on the Knicks:

Management has to face some “uncomfortable realities” in its offseason evaluation of Randle, states Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. For the second time in three years, Randle has followed an outstanding regular season performance with a flameout in the playoffs. Bondy doesn’t believe Randle can be one of the two best players on a legitimate contender, adding that his moodiness and his tendency to snap at teammates, officials, and coaches can be a distraction.
Although Josh Hart was a valuable midseason addition who’s likely to be re-signed, he and Barrett didn’t work well together in playoff lineups, observes Chris Herring of Sports Illustrated. Herring believes Thibodeau made a mistake by starting Hart against Miami because it clogged the lane as defenders dared Barrett and Hart to shoot from the outside and it eliminated the lift that Hart normally provides off the bench.
The Knicks won’t make Thibodeau or their players available for end-of-season exit interviews with the media, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Randle, Toppin, Grimes

May 1st, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Brunson has transformed the Knicks since joining them in free agency, but he felt he let the team down in Game 1 of the second round, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Brunson called his performance “horrific” after he missed all seven of his three-point shots in Sunday’s loss to Miami.

“I think inside the three-point line I was pretty efficient,” Brunson said. “Outside the three-point line, I was terrible. They’re a good team, great defense, well coached, experience, so you got to give them the credit, but for me I have to be better.”

Friedell notes that the other Knicks weren’t much better from long distance as they shot 7-for-34 as a team and missed numerous open opportunities that might have changed the course of the game. Brunson acknowledged the poor shooting, but he says that can’t be allowed to set the tone for the rest of the series.

“We can’t be discouraged,” he said. “Playing in the NBA, a lot of it’s all confidence, and you got to stay confident, you got to stay poised and you got to stick together as a team. We just got to come back hungry, be better, fix our mistakes and move forward from there.”

There’s more from New York:

Julius Randle sat out Sunday’s game with a left ankle sprain that he suffered in the first round, but the Knicks are optimistic that he’ll be ready soon, Friedell adds. Randle was considered questionable for Game 1 and went through a pregame workout, but doctors decided he wasn’t able to play. “I don’t know how close (he was),” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I know he worked out before, I just trust him and the medical staff to make that decision. So if he could go — I planned both ways, I planned with him going and planned if he didn’t go. Once they make a decision, that’s it and you live with it and you get ready with what you have. And so we have more than enough.”
Obi Toppin replaced Randle and had a strong outing in his first playoff start with 18 points in 31 minutes, notes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Toppin wasn’t sure of his status until the decision was made on Randle, but he was prepared to be in the starting lineup. “We didn’t know exactly how Ju was feeling. So, like, in my head, I thought I was starting the whole time,” Toppin said. “But yeah, like I always say, the approach that I take going into every game is the same.”
Quentin Grimes played 10 minutes on Sunday after missing the last two games of the first-round series with a shoulder contusion, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “I don’t think I lost anything. My legs could still work, so I was still doing my conditioning and stuff like that,” Grimes said. “So I’m all good right now.”

Julius Randle To Miss Game 1

April 30th, 2023 at 10:27am CST by Arthur Hill

11:31am: The Knicks confirmed that Randle won’t play in Sunday’s game (Twitter link).

10:27am: Knicks forward Julius Randle will likely be inactive for today’s series opener against Miami, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Randle was visibly exhausted after a pregame workout, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link).

Randle was listed as questionable after reinjuring his left ankle during Wednesday’s close-out victory in Cleveland. Coach Tom Thibodeau said Randle is considered day-to-day, but he wasn’t able to participate in practice Saturday.

Randle missed the final five games of the regular season with the original ankle injury and seemed to be bothered during New York’s first-round series as he shot just 33.8% from the field. He was in the middle of his best game of the series when he got hurt again late in the second quarter of Game 5.

Obi Toppin is expected to take Randle’s spot in the starting lineup until he can return. Toppin started the second half on Wednesday and helped the Knicks wrap up their series.

The Heat announced that center Bam Adebayo, who had been listed as probable for Game 1 with a hamstring issue, will be able to play, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.