Former Slam Dunk Champion Re-Signs with the Pacers
2022 Slam Dunk Champion Obi Toppin will play for the Indiana Pacers next season, on a four-year 60 million-dollar deal. The news was first broken by Woj. After spending his first three seasons with the New York Knicks, the six-foot-nine power forward seemed to benefit from a change of scenery. He was traded last offseason for two future second-round picks to the Indiana Pacers. Last season with the Pacers, he averaged ten points, four rebounds and two assists on 57%/40%/77% shooting splits. He played in all 82 games, starting 28. He became an important bench piece for the Pacers after trading for Pascal Siakam, who started at power forward for the rest of the season. It was a career year for the 26-year-old.
After signing a multi-year contract, it will be interesting to see what Toppin’s role will be with the Pacers next season. He showed flashes of potential with the Knicks but never seemed to gain traction for playing time, so the move to the Pacers made sense for both sides. After a successful season off the bench for a young team led by Tyrese Haliburton who threw countless lobs to the athletic forward, his role next season should Toppin will hope the Pacers allow him room to grow and show why he is worth the money he was given.
Toppin is still young, meaning he has time to grow, but he needs to take advantage of his role this coming season to prove last season wasn’t a one-off. Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks actually held him back as he seemed to believe. His athleticism and shooting ability at the forward spots are valuable, but it’s hard to see him being more than a solid role player. It will be fun to see if Toppin can continue to grow and show he is more than just a dunker, but rather a valuable contributor for an Indiana Pacers team next season.
