Pacers agree to new contract with critical bench contributor
Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin.
Restricted free agent Pacers power forward Obi Toppin intends to sign a four-year, $60M contract to stay in Indiana, sources inform Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
As Wojnarowski notes, the 6-foot-9 Dayton alum emerged as a critical bench contributor for a Pacers club that advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals this past spring for the first time in a decade.
The eighth overall pick in the 2020 draft, Toppin was traded from New York to Indiana a year ago in exchange for a pair of second-round picks after he spent his first three professional seasons with the Knicks. In his first year as a Pacer, the 26-year-old set new career highs in points (10.3), rebounds (3.9), and assists (1.6) per game, as well as field goal percentage (57.3%) and three-point percentage (40.3%).
With tentative deals in place for Pascal Siakam (four years, maximum salary) and Toppin, the Pacers’ team salary for 2024-25 projects to be about $6.4M below the luxury tax line with at least two roster spots still to be filled, tweets cap expert Yossi Gozlan.
While it’s technically possible for the Pacers to use their full mid-level exception and stay below the first tax apron, doing so would make them a taxpayer, so that’s unlikely. It also remains to be seen whether the team will have room under the tax to bring back free agent big man Jalen Smith on a new deal after he opted out of his contract on Saturday. Of course, a cost-cutting move to create additional spending flexibility is always a possibility.
Toppin had been the No. 27 player on our list of this summer’s top 50 free agents.
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