New York Knicks sign Jacob Toppin to 10-day contract
Jacob Toppin was snubbed from advancing to the final round of last weekend’s NBA Dunk Contest, but he’s probably fine with trading that hardware for another chance to play at the highest level.
On Thursday morning, the New York Knicks announced it has signed Toppin to a 10-day contract. After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, the former Kentucky Wildcat initially signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Knicks, which was converted to a two-way contract in October. He’s spent most of his rookie season playing for the Westchester Knicks in the G League.
Now, Toppin will suit up for the Knicks full-time on a 10-day deal. Thursday was the final day that teams were required to reach the minimum of 14 guaranteed roster spots.
Toppin has appeared in just five games for New York so far this season, averaging 2.6 points and 1.2 rebounds in 6.6 minutes per contest on 55.6 percent shooting. His first three opportunities came in December on limited minutes, but he took better advantage of the two games he played right before the All-Star break. Toppin finished with two points and two rebounds in 12 minutes against the Mavericks on Feb. 8 before dropping 11 points and four rebounds in 17 minutes against the Magic on Feb. 14.
Most of Toppin’s production this season has come in the G League, where he’s been excellent. The 6-foot-8 high-flyer averaged 21.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 36.4 minutes per game across 13 outings for the Westchester Knicks. He shot 52.8 percent overall, 37.7 percent from deep, and 80.5 percent from the line. Toppin went for 40 points and 16 rebounds on Feb. 9. His stellar play was enough to catch the eyes of the NBA. Enough so that the Dunk Contest invited him to participate.
In this writer’s humble opinion, Toppin’s between-the-legs, 360 dunk was the best slam of the entire event, but the narrative-driven judges couldn’t help themselves from pitting Jaylen Brown against Mac McClung in the championship (McClung won for the second year in a row).
But like I said, Toppin will surely trade the Dunk Contest snub for his 10-day contract with the Knicks. Not a bad franchise to join right now, either. New York is currently fourth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 33-22. Knicks forward and fellow former Wildcat, Julius Randle, is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury that could require surgery.
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