Stephen A. Smith 'Not Moved' By Knicks' OG Anunoby Trade
The New York Knicks made a huge splash in the trade market to close out the calendar year, bringing in OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a 2024 second-round pick.
While the move upgraded New York's roster ... evidenced by Monday's 112-106 win over Western Conference-leading Minnesota ... outspoken Knicks fan/critic Stephen A. Smith isn't swayed by the implications in the bigger picture.
Wendell Cruz, USA TODAY SPORTS
"I'm not moved," the ESPN personality said on Tuesday's edition of First Take. "The Knicks are better, they're certainly better defensively. Anunoby doesn't require the ball the way RJ Barrett does, he's a better three-point shooter, catch-and-shoot threes. Not only that, he's shooting like 44 percent on threes from the corner. So he doesn't need the ball as much which frees the ball up for Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle."
Anunoby is averaging 15.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 steals this season in 33.4 minutes per game. He also sports an impressive 60.2 percent true shooting rate and sank 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting in his Monday debut.
Smith's problem with the trade wasn't that Anunoby didn't make the team better but rather that the departure of Quickley made the offense worse.
"Not having him there, to me, puts a lot more on Jalen Brunson and gives Thibodeau an excuse to go with like seven and just run you into the ground and have you fatigued come playoff time," Smith said. "It doesn't improve their chances as far as I'm concerned to beat Boston or Milwaukee because of their inability to score with those guys. Again, it doesn't make them worse, it makes them better defensively without question, but it's not what I think was needed most."
Anunoby's second game with the Knicks (18-15) lands on Wednesday night when they host the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden (8:30 p.m. ET, MSG/ABC).
