Indiana Bought a Real Rotation Forward for Two Future Seconds
Indiana acquired Obi Toppin from New York for two future second-round picks in July 2023. The Pacers' own release confirms the basic price, while Basketball-Reference identifies the outgoing selections as 2028 and 2029 seconds. The 2028 asset is the less favorable of Indiana and Phoenix, and the 2029 asset is the less favorable of Indiana and Washington. Both remain unresolved, so neither should be graded as if New York already converted it into a player.
Toppin Quickly Became Part of Indiana's Core Rotation
The realized return is already substantial on Indiana's side. After his first Pacers season, the team re-signed Toppin in July 2024 and basketball president Kevin Pritchard called him an integral part of the run to the Eastern Conference Finals. By April 2026, Indiana's own player review described Toppin as entering the third year of that four-year contract. Even after a foot injury limited him to 24 games in 2025-26, he averaged 11.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 50.3 percent from the field.
New York Still Owns Draft Value, but the Return Has Not Matured
The Knicks did not get nothing. Two future seconds preserve optionality, and the unusual pick conditions mean the exact draft slots will not be known until those years arrive. That is why a harsh failing grade would overstate the hindsight case. But as of this review, New York's side remains future value only while Indiana has already received multiple seasons of useful NBA production and was sufficiently satisfied to give Toppin a new four-year deal.
The Pacers Hold the Clear Hindsight Advantage
This is the kind of trade where realized production can be weighed without pretending the future picks are worthless. Indiana paid a modest draft price, found a role that fit Toppin and retained him beyond the original contract. New York still has two unresolved assets that could improve its side later, but there is no current evidence that either has matched the value Indiana already received. The proper verdict is a Pacers win with the Knicks kept above a failing range until the picks resolve.
Final Verdict
Pacers Win — Indiana A-, New York C+. Indiana turned two future second-round picks into Obi Toppin, received immediate rotation value and then re-signed him to a four-year contract after an Eastern Conference Finals run. New York still holds the unresolved 2028 and 2029 second-round assets, so its return retains real future value. The Pacers nevertheless own the clear realized advantage today.