Obi Toppin cleared to return for Knicks

Knicks forward Obi Toppin will be available for Wednesday’s home game against the Spurs, the team announced.

Toppin has missed the Knicks’ last 13 contests due to a non-displaced fracture in his right fibula head. He sustained the injury on December 7 vs. Atlanta.

A former eighth overall pick, Toppin was a regular part of New York’s rotation prior to his injury, appearing in all 25 of the team’s games and averaging 17.1 minutes per night. He contributed 7.7 PPG and 3.8 RPG on .421/.351/.824 shooting in his part-time role. However, it doesn’t sound as if Toppin will be immediately reinserted into the Knicks’ rotation.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters on Wednesday that the 24-year-old will assume a “situational” role, which is typically what he says about players who only see garbage-time minutes, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Knicks point guard Derrick Rose, who missed Monday’s game due to a left knee contusion, will also be available on Wednesday, and will also play a “situational” role according to Thibodeau, via Begley.