Why The New York Knicks Do The Deal 

The Knicks do this deal to land a first-round pick. Frankly, that’s why the Knicks do most deals these days. 

Sure, it’s lottery protected. That’s fine. This is just one more item in this organization’s vast collection of future-focused assets. 

The Knicks may miss Toppin. He’s a good NBA player with the potential to get better. Then again, as mentioned, he’s been buried behind Julius Randle throughout his career in New York this year. With Randle playing well this season, that doesn’t look likely to change. 

With that in mind, the Knicks might as well move on from Toppin. They’ll be hoping to trade this pick along with a bunch of others for a star before it conveys – or, doesn’t. 

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After all, the Knicks aren’t rebuilding – they’re just loaded with assets they’d need if they were.