Obi Toppin of the Indiana Pacers addressed the seemingly inevitable trade from the New York Knicks this offseason, and discussed his minutes and deployment under coach Tom Thibodeau.

“All I can do is just do whatever the coach is asking me to do,” Obi Toppin said when asked if either side could have done anything to make it work in New York, via Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “Whether that's being out on the floor, having great energy, doing whatever I need to do to help the team win. I didn't get the minutes I wanted. But now it's a fresh start. I'm here in Indy. I got to work for everything I want. And I'm super excited to start.”

The Knicks drafted Toppin in the 2020 NBA Draft, ahead of the 2020-2021 season. Julius Randle was coming off of an abysmal first season with the team. In the 2020-2021 season, Julius Randle made All-NBA, leading the Knicks to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. It was poor timing for Toppin, who plays the same position as Randle. In the 2021-2022 season, Randle struggled, but he made All-NBA again in the 2022-2023 season.

Toppin's playing time was limited as a result, and it reached a boiling point in the NBA Playoffs when the Knicks lost to the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the second round. Audio leaked of Toppin confronting coach Tom Thibodeau.

With the Pacers, Toppin should have a good opportunity to play on a fast-paced team with a point guard in Tyrese Haliburton, who on paper is a good fit with Toppin. It will be interesting to see how he fares in his first season in Indiana.