On Saturday, The New York Knicks acquired Toronto Raptors F OG Anunoby in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a 2024 second-round pick. The full details of the trade are as follows:
Knicks receive: F OG Anunoby, C Precious Achiuwa, G Malachi Flynn.
Raptors receive: F RJ Barrett, G Immanuel Quickley, 2024 second-round pick (via Detroit).
Deal could be beneficial to all parties involved
On the surface, this trade makes sense for both parties involved. For the Knicks, they get themselves an All-Defense caliber player in Anunoby, who should also be a better fit offensively in the Knicks lineup compared to Barrett, as he is averaging 15.1 points per game shooting 49% from the field and 37% from three. Anunoby’s impact with the Raptors was quite profound, boasting a +2.0 net rating with him on the court versus a -6.6 net rating with him off the court.
Trade to Toronto provides new opportunities for Barrett, Quickley
In addition, the Knicks were able to move on from the consistently inconsistent Barrett, who could benefit from a change of scenery playing for his hometown team. Toronto also received Immanuel Quickley, the runner-up for the 6th Man of The Year Award a season ago, who has only gotten better this season, averaging 15 points per game in just 24 minutes per game. Quickley now gets the opportunity to start for the Raptors as he continues to make his case to earn a hefty contract next offseason.
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OG Anunoby makes the Knicks better now and in the future
While not necessarily a needle mover, Anunoby is an upgrade over Barrett and brings the Knicks closer to contention going forward. The Knicks avoided having to sacrifice any of their first-round picks in the deal, meaning they still have plenty of ammo to make another big trade. Players such as Atlanta Hawks G Dejounte Murray, Cleveland Cavaliers G Donovan Mitchell, and Phoenix Suns F Kevin Durant, among others, could all be potential candidates should New York pivot towards landing another player to play alongside the new-look Knicks.
As the Knicks continue their quest to reach the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference, acquiring Anunoby brings them closer to doing so. Adding another key piece alongside Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and now OG Anunoby could bring the Knicks much closer to the top teams in the east, such as the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics. New York is expected to continue to be active in the trade market this season, as it appears that President Leon Rose and the rest of the front office are ready to contend now and will use the assets they have to their advantage going forward.