Rumor: Knicks are dying to get Obi Toppin with the eighth pick

There has been some talk of the Knicks potentially moving back in the draft but not much in the way of who they’re actually interested in. Early in Leon Rose’s tenure, he’s proven a hard guy to peg. On top of that, this draft is light on individual star power but offers a sea of galactic depth. Some guys may become a guiding light, while others may go supernova and burn out faster than Michael Carter-Williams.

In the latest Lowe Post podcast, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony may have tipped Rose’s hand for the first time since he was selected President of Basketball Operations. Givony said that the Knicks, and uncle Leon, would be ecstatic if Obi Toppin were to make his way to the eighth pick.

Of course the jokes write themselves. The Knicks starting lineup walks into a bar because they’re all too tall to duck under the bar because they’re all power forwards GUFFAWWWWW! Oh the Four Seasons Total Landscaping of it all! I can’t stop expelling all this laughter, please make it stop.

Hopefully Leon was just throwing the draft guru a gnarly bone because Obi will get the kids to (urge their parents to) buy jerseys at matinee games but, as we’ve discussed here and there, he’s not bringin’ any franchise up to contention-speed. On the podcast they discussed one possible reason to want Toppin is simply that he’d be a rookie of the year candidate. While that’s not a good enough reason for me, maybe the next level of thinking is that there could be a Julius Randle trade lined up. That would make Toppin potentially sliding into the front court rotation a little more impactful.

Speaking of trades, power forwards and ¿informed? speculation, have a look at this outer regional nugget that could use some management:

If that bears fruit, it could involve the Knicks moving up to 21 or possibly regaining control of their 2nd rounders, currently owned by Philly as compensation for helping these teams grease the skids.

The possibility of the Knicks not only drafting a 4 but trading for a 4 and picking up the two team options on their current 4’s, Taj Gibson and Bobby Portis is too tantalizing. Here I’ll write a joke about it. Hang on, gotta dab my favorite pen on the tip of my tongue.

I was on a plane the other year and the guy sitting next to me was 6’10”! I’m a cool guy, so I asked if he plays basketball? He said yea, and it turned out he’s the sixth man on the Knicks. So I was like, sixth man on the Knicks depth chart at power forward? Then I smashed a banana cream pie in his face and hosed him off with a seltzer bottle that I pulled out of enormous green and pink polka dot vest. Good times, great friendships.