The New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors pulled off a year-ending blockbuster trade that saw OG Anunoby head to The Big Apple and RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley go north of the border. New York and Toronto fans were understandably excited about the deal. Knicks fans were thrilled to see Anunoby have a stellar debut, while Raptors faithful loved to see an exciting young star like Quickley and hometown boy RJ Barrett come to Toronto.
It will take some time to evaluate who won the deal. But according to ESPN's Zach Lowe, word around the league is that the Knicks were able to unload a “toxic asset” in Barrett.
“I've always said if there's a continuum of RJ Barrett optimism and pessimism,” Lowe said on the latest episode of The Lowe Post podcast. “And over here on the pessimistic side is like, ‘He just stinks, he's a toxic asset.' And that is a word that got thrown around yesterday in my conversations with front office people and coaches—toxic asset. Like you're swallowing his contract.”
Barrett is under contract for the next four years at $107 million. The Raptors are optimistic that coming home to Toronto could help him tap into his potential as the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Barrett, however, hasn't quite lived up to the hype just yet, which has become a source of frustration for some Knicks fans. During his tenure as a Knick, Barrett averaged 18.1 points and 5.1 rebounds on 42.2 percent field goal shooting in over four seasons in New York.
Follow Us
Subscribe