There is a lot of trade buzz surrounding Obi Toppin and the Indiana Pacers

There is a chance the New York Knicks trade Obi Toppin this offseason. Actually, the Knicks might have a deal in place to send Toppin packing. In fact, Toppin might already be a member of the Indiana Pacers.

Say what!?

Self-proclaimed “Director of Strategy and Cap Specialist” of Thread Sports Management and “Co-Founder” of No Trade Clause, Anil Gogna reported late Friday night that it “looks like the Indiana Pacers are trading for Obi Toppin.”

Asked whether that was just mere speculation or if the information was coming from a source, Gogna confirmed it was the latter.

Gogna, in an edited/updated tweet published three minutes after his OG message, pretty much confirmed the news writing that “Sources tell me the Indiana Pacers have traded for Obi Toppin.”

This, of course, isn’t your typical Adrian Wojnarowski or Shams Charania breaking news. It’s Anil Gogna, who you most probably have never ever heard of. I feel you because I hadn’t before the news popped up on my timeline somehow, someway, either.

This “report,” although based on “sources” speaking to Gogna, calls for real caution. Again, this is not an elite, world-renowned reporter breaking a story, nor is it a story involving any sort of supernova player with all due respect to our beloved Obadiah Richard Toppin Jr. So yeah, let it marinate for a minute before rushing to burn your no. 1 Knicks jersey in case you were planning on doing so.

I have been researching Gogna for a full couple of minutes after learning about this report, and all I’ve found is this Reddit thread in which, well, Gogna at least is quoted explaining some of the salary cap machinations the Atlanta Hawks did a few days ago after trading for Rudy Gay. I guess a cap special Gogna is, at the very least.

Other than that, there is not a lot of reporting and news-breaking content related to this suspect. He broke the news of Reggie Perry signing with the Raptors last September, though the deal didn’t happen until mid-October and it was just a simple Exhibit 10 contract.

More believable sources had reported the interest of the Pacers in Toppin through Friday, so there might be something going on here.

Marc Stein wrote about it in his newsletter on Friday, June 30, saying that the Pacers “have emerged as a leading trade suitor for New York’s Obi Toppin, league sources say.”

Echoing this report, Ian Begley of SNY confirmed the information in a tweet of his own published a bit later following Stein’s intel.

Begley added an interesting nugget, saying that the Knicks would be “seeking draft compensation” in return for trading Obi Toppin away from the organization. Begley confirmed that the Knicks and the Pacers “have been in touch” discussing this particular deal.

So far, the Knicks have yet to make an addition through the first 12 hours of the free agency period. This could be the first move pulled off by New York, and it looks like the return would just be based around some low-level draft-pick package, most probably geared toward opening cap space by dealing Toppin’s contract and salary away rather than adding any impactful player.

Keep an eye on this space as we’ll provide further updates as we get them, whether they come from Woj or Anil.