The Knicks and Pacers have touched base recently to discuss trades involving Obi Toppin.
The Knicks are currently seeking draft compensation in any deal that sends Toppin to Indiana. When the new league year starts, the Pacers can absorb Toppin’s $6.8 million salary into its cap space. So the Knicks could trade Toppin without receiving a player in return.
This would allow the Knicks to trim $6.8 million from their 2023-24 salary totals.
Trimming that money could give the Knicks a financial cushion to use its non-tax payer mid-level exception without exceeding the luxury tax. The Knicks were pursuing at least two players who could command the non-taxpayer exception: Bruce Brown and Donte DiVincenzo. Brown agreed to a two-year, $45 million deal with the Pacers shortly after free agency began at 6 p.m., according to ESPN.
Trading Toppin would also clear a spot in the Knicks’ nine-man rotation for any free agent they sign.
It’s unclear what kind of draft compensation the Knicks would seek from Indiana in a Toppin trade.