by 
The Sacramento Kings are among the teams that have recently checked out the Knicks guard Derrick Rose. Several teams talked about it in New York Obi Toppin this week. The Knicks’ asking price is said to be significant, as you’d expect.
But the Knicks are committed to Toppin’s teams, and he’s eligible for an extension this summer. The Indiana Pacers are among the teams that have registered interest in Toppin.
The Knicks will have two open roster spots once the Josh Hart trade becomes official. Then they can take back more players in any exchange of Roses or Toppins.
Just my take: It seems clear the Knicks don’t have an avenue to give Toppin a bigger role. The only obvious way would be trade Julius Randle, which is not happening. Toppin publicly handled his reduced role with the class. As far as I know, he’s done everything the franchise has asked of him.
That’s why I think the Knicks should find Toppin a new home before 3:00 pm today. It would be the right thing to do for a player who handled a difficult situation with class.
I assume New York will try to get a significant return on any Toppin trade, but the club should send Toppin to a place where he can play meaningful minutes. It won’t happen in New York.
DEPTH WITH HART
The Knicks have updated their rotation with Hart’s trade. Hart is one of the best rebounding guards in the NBA and can defend multiple positions. He has a player option for next season, which he would probably refuse because his contract for that season is not guaranteed.
Since the Knicks gave up a protected first-round pick in the deal, it’s fair to assume they plan to make an aggressive offer to Hart in free agency. They have his bird rights and can go over the limit to sign him.
Hart was represented by the Knicks president Pink Lion when Rose was a CAA agent.
The pick the Knicks sent to the Portland Trail Blazers is their first pick in 2023. It’s lottery protected. This puts more of a burden on New York to make the playoffs this season. If the pick doesn’t broadcast, it turns into four second-round picks, sources confirm.
Trade puts an end to Reddish cam‘s sent to New York. That trade was an undeniable blunder for the Knicks. They sent a protected first rounder and Kevin Knox to the Atlanta Hawks for Reddish. He has never had a consistent role with the Knicks. So his league value diminished when New York faced him on Wednesday.
If Hart’s acquisition helps New York become a contender, most fans will likely forget all about the reddish trade. But if the Hart trade doesn’t work out well for New York, it will compound the mistake they made in the Reddish trade.
