Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
Two and a half weeks after the end of the NBA Finals, the free agency period began at the end of June. Depending on the year, the free agency pool can have big name talent, while other years not so much. This crop of available talent this summer is more of the latter. The Knicks did not have a lot of great options coming into Free Agency. They did trade popular reserve forward Obi Toppin to Indiana for two second rounds draft picks. After three seasons the 2020 1st round draft pick became frustrated over a lack of playing time behind the team’s All-Star Julius Randle. He averaged seven points and three rebounds in three seasons with the Knicks in 14 minutes a game, which was the problem.
Toppin and Head Coach Tom Thibodeau reportedly got into a heated argument and had to be separated following the Knicks Game Four loss in the second round to Miami. The Knicks did sign his brother, Jacob Toppin, out of the University of Kentucky, to an undrafted free agent contract. Taking Toppin’s place in the rotation will be swingman Donte Divencenzo, who played with current Knicks Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart at Villanova University, where they won two championships together.
The Brooklyn Nets gave free agent Cameron Johnson a four-year $108 million dollar contract and they agreed to a one-year deal to former Laker Lonnie Walker. Nationally the biggest free agent signing was guard Fred Van Fleet leaving Toronto, where he won a championship in 2019, for the Houston Rockets on a three-year $130 million deal. It is the largest contract given to a player who was not drafted.
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