Blazers Interested in Acquiring Raptors Forward OG Anunoby, per Report

The Trail Blazers are reportedly interested in trading their first-round pick in Thursday’s NBA draft to acquire Raptors forward OG Anunoby, per Yahoo! Sports.

The Trail Blazers own the No. 7 overall pick, while Toronto doesn’t have a first-rounder because the team dealt the No. 20 pick to the Spurs in February as part of a trade for Thaddeus Young.

Trading away the No. 7 pick would leave Portland with the No. 36 and No. 57 picks in the second round.

Anunoby will be entering his sixth year in the league in the 2022–23 season. Throughout his five-year career thus far in Toronto, the forward has averaged 10.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 301 total game appearances. 

Last season as the starting small forward, Anunoby started in all of his 48 game appearances, finishing with career-high averages of 17.1 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals. In December 2020, he signed a four-year, $72 million extension with Toronto that still has three seasons remaining.

The Trail Blazers are currently projected to start Josh Hart at small forward after acquiring him from New Orleans last season as part of the blockbuster deal for C.J. McCollum. He finished the season with averages of 19.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game.