Jacob Toppin returns to the New York Knicks on a two-way deal

The surname Toppin will remain on the New York Knicks roster.

The Knicks announced Wednesday that Jacob Toppin will return to the team for a second season on a two-way contract. Toppin is the younger brother of Obi, one of the Knicks’ 2020 first-round picks.

The younger Toppin was signed by the Knicks last summer as an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky. He played nine games with the NBA team (including one against his brother when the Knicks visited the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 30), but spent most of his time with the G-League club in Westchester.

His most notable NBA contribution to date was an 11-point performance in 17 minutes in a February loss to Orlando, in which the Knicks’ roster was decimated by injuries just before the All-Star break. Toppin missed most of the Knicks’ Summer League games due to an unspecified injury, but in two appearances he totaled 24 points on over 52 percent shooting, along with eight rebounds and six assists.

Toppin played 25 games in White Plains, averaging 19.8 points and 8.5 rebounds. He later participated in the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, following in his brother’s footsteps. The younger Toppin finished third behind two-time defending champion and G-League representative Mac McClung and Boston All-Star Jaylen Brown.

It was a busy offseason for the Toppin family: Although the Pacers initially decided not to renew his rookie contract coming from New York, Obi signed a $58 million contract that keeps him in Indianapolis for the next four seasons.

The Toppin signing is the last of three two-way contract spots granted to the Knicks, the previous two being taken up by their last draft picks, Kevin McCullar and Ariel Hukporti.

Don’t forget to bookmark All Knicks for the latest news, exclusive interviews, movie analysis and more!