The first domino of NBA trade season has fallen with the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks coming together to make a trade many had anticipated. OG Anunoby, who has long been a target of the Knicks as a two-way wing, is heading to New York in a blockbuster trade involving the likes of RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. The Knicks are also receiving two key secondary pieces from the Raptors in Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn.
A heavily pursued trade target over the last year, Anunoby has been one of the focal points of trade discussions so far during the 2023-24 season. Everyone has been wondering what the Raptors were going to be doing amid their struggles and expiring contracts. Now, a clearer path has presented itself for the 2019 NBA champions with Quickley and Barrett heading to Toronto to team up with Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes.
Anunoby, 26, has spent the first seven seasons of his career as a member of the Raptors after being drafted 23rd overall in 2017. His rise to becoming one of the better two-way wings in the league has been noted, which is why the Raptors have held a high asking price for him.
Now, the Knicks receive the player they hope can help take them to the next level, especially given Anunoby's abilities to play off the ball on offense alongside two stars in Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
Knicks land two-way star in OG Anunoby
If the Knicks were going to trade for any player this season, Anunoby was the one who made the most sense. While Barrett has been a sturdy presence on the wing since the team drafted him third overall in 2019, Barrett's overall lack of development left a hole for the Knicks to try and fill. Not to mention, New York has long had concerns over Barrett's abilities to impact the game defensively.
Originally involved in trade talks for Donovan Mitchell in 2022, the Knicks extended Barrett on a four-year, $107 million contract the same summer they were pursuing Mitchell. This left the door open for the organization to possibly move his contract down the line, something they accomplished with the Raptors on Saturday.
In addition to dealing Barrett and Quickley to the Raptors, the Knicks are also sending the Detroit Pistons' 2024 second-round pick to Toronto. This pick was acquired by the Knicks in 2020 when they traded the rights to Keon Johnson in the 2020 NBA Draft for the rights to Quentin Grimes, a deal that has worked out well for New York so far.
With Barrett and Quickley heading to the Raptors, the Knicks are receiving Anunoby, Malachi Flynn, and center Precious Achiuwa. Mitchell Robinson is likely done for the year due to injury and backup center Jericho Sims has gone down with an ankle injury. Achiuwa will immediately step into a big role for the Knicks as a result, finally giving the former first-round pick a chance to prove himself after sitting on the Raptors' bench through the years. Flynn is expected to be a bench player in New York who sees time behind Donte DiVicnenzo and Grimes.
The Knicks would not have made this trade for Anunoby unless they had a strong belief that they would be able to keep him long-term. As things stand right now, Anunoby can opt out of his contract and become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. Owning a $19.9 million player option for next season, the Knicks are able to offer Anunoby a four-year, $116.9 million contract extension, but Saturday is the last day to do so, according to ESPN front-office insider Bobby Marks. As a result, the team can only offer their new wing a two-year, $40 million from Sunday through the end of the season.
Money now becomes the ultimate factor for the Knicks' future after making this trade with the Raptors.
Raptors receive two young contributors
The Raptors have been in limbo over the last year or so, searching for answers on how to move forward with their core group. Ultimately, they decided that Anunoby was the player that had to be separated from Barnes and Siakam, especially since this trio was not going anywhere in terms of the Eastern Conference standings. It had also become clear that Anunoby was more likely to decline his player option and pursue other offers in free agency this upcoming summer rather than remain in Toronto.
Moving on from Anunoby and trading him to the Knicks was always at the front of league personnel's minds as the trade deadline neared. Now, Anunoby gets a fresh start in New York, while the Raptors receive two high-impact players that can immediately make a difference.
Barrett is from Toronto and will now be the “hometown kid” for the Raptors moving forward. Canada absolutely loves Barrett, something that became apparent given how much they supported him during the recent 2023 FIBA World Cup. Unlike all the scrutiny he received in New York, Barrett will now be one of the faces of the Raptors for the foreseeable future, possibly allowing him to reach his full potential as an elite-level scorer.
For Quickley, the opportunity to finally become a starting point guard has presented itself in this trade. Always known for his craftiness and playmaking skills with the ball in his hands, Quickley will be able to help take command of the Raptors' offense, alleviating pressure off of Barnes and Siakam to have to do everything. So far this season, the young guard has shot a career-high 39.5 percent from three-point range.
The biggest reason this trade was made by the Raptors at this very moment is because they couldn't wait any longer. Anunoby needed to be moved due to the risk of losing him in the offseason and Toronto finds themselves seven games below .500 on the season. This was a necessary trade to try and set themselves up for both immediate and future success.
Grading the trade for Knicks, Raptors
The Raptors will not be able to replicate OG Anunoby's production. A true All-Defensive-like talent on the wing who was growing offensively, Anunoby was the third horseman alongside Siakam and Barnes for the Raptors. However, Toronto has received exactly what they had been lacking in this trade with the Knicks.
Aside from landing Barrett and Quickley, two players who can immediately provide an impact on offense, the Raptors also get a 2024 second-round pick, which is basically like a first-round pick since the Pistons are going to wind up having the 31st overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
On the flip side of things, the Knicks still have some question marks to answer after this trade. Anunoby will help improve their overall defensive numbers, but can he make a bigger impact on offense than Barrett did? In addition, who is going to step up and fill Quickley's sixth-man minutes behind Brunson?
A lot of pressure now falls on the shoulders of Grimes and DiVincenzo, who the Knicks signed this offseason to help be a difference on the offensive side of the floor. This is a trade that could actually wind up working out perfectly for both teams.
Knicks trade grade: B-
Raptors trade grade: B+
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