Report: Obi Toppin intends to sign four-year deal worth $60 million to stay with Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS -- Forward Obi Toppin intends to sign a four-year contract worth $60 million to stay with the Pacers according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Toppin's rookie scale contract worth $22.1 million over four years is set to expire later today and he was expected to become a restricted free agent.

Toppin was acquired by the Pacers last July from the Knicks for two second-round picks. The former No. 8 overall pick and 2020 consensus national player of the year at Dayton averaged just 7.0 points in 14.7 minutes per game over three years with the Knicks, and the trade allowed him to step into an open starting position at power forward.

Toppin started 28 games for the Pacers before he was moved to the bench as they tried to increase focus on the defensive end, but he still proved to be the scoring weapon in both the half court and in transition that they hoped he would be. He appeared in all 82 regular season games averaged a career high 10.3 points per game in 21.1 minutes per game. He finished third among the Pacers behind backup centers Jalen Smith and Isaiah Jackson in both field goal percentage (.573) and effective field goal percentage (.661). He made 70.6% of his 2-point shots, the best figure on the team, and also knocked down 40.3% of his 3-pointers.

In the playoffs, Toppin averaged 10.9 points per game -- the sixth-highest figure among all bench players in the playoffs -- on 54.1% shooting. His 185 total points in the playoffs were second among all bench players to only teammate T.J. McConnell, who finished with 200.

Signing Toppin was the Pacers' second-most important offseason priority beyond keeping two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam. Earlier this month, Siakam signaled his intention to sign a four-year max contract worth $189.5 million. With Siakam and Toppin in the fold the Pacers have all nine members of their playoff rotation under contract plus guard Bennedict Mathurin, who missed the last six weeks of the regular season and all of the playoffs with a torn labrum. That effectively means they have two their top two units in place.

Toppin's return does mean that there will not be a clear path to playing time for forward Jarace Walker, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 draft who will be heading into his second year. The Pacers were pleased with his development in his first year, particularly in terms of his progression with his jump shot and his ability to play multiple positions, even handing point guard on occasion. But he played more minutes in the G League than he did at the NBA level.

Free agency formally opens at 6 p.m. on Sunday with the league calendar rolling over. With Siakam and Toppin signed, the Pacers have three free agents remaining -- center Jalen Smith and forwards Doug McDermott and James Johnson Jr. Smith had a player option on his contract worth $5.4 million for next year, but declined it on Saturday. Center Oscar Tshiebwe and guards Isaiah Wong and Quenton Jackson, who held the Pacers' three two-way contracts at the end of last season, are also free agents.

The Pacers were already over the salary cap and Toppin's contract puts them well over so they don't have much in the way of opportunity to add players in free agency. This year's salary cap is set at around $141 million and with Toppin's deal the Pacers are on the hook for about $163 million. However, they are still south of the $171 million luxury tax so they have access ton the non-taxpayer midlevel exception which allows them to sign players worth up to $12.8 million per year and have them not count against their cap figure. They could also engage in trades and sign-and-trade scenarios. It's unlikely the Pacers will make a big splash and they do have to find a way to take on their three second-round draft picks -- Kansas wing Johnny Furphy, Connecticut guard Tristen Newton and Akron forward Enrique Freeman -- on the roster with either full-time or two-way contracts.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers' Obi Toppin intends to sign four-year, $60 million deal