New Competition Rises In Knicks' Pursuit of O.G. Anunoby
Leave it to a team call the Phoenix Suns to dim the New York Knicks' scoring forecasts.
Per Shams Charania, the chase for Toronto Raptors small forward O.G. Anunoby now includes Phoenix, another competitor likewise flush with draft picks. Charania claims that the Knicks "have shown a willingness to offer multiple first-round picks for Anunoby," who is in the midst of his sixth season in Canada.
As Toronto (23-28) inches closer toward a trade deadline blowup, Anunoby has become one of the more talked-about pieces. His perimeter defense has been well-lauded (currently leading the NBA with 2.1 steals per game) and he provides scoring that's consistent enough to help the Knicks improve on a mark that currently ranks 16th: if Anunoby (16.9 points per game) were to come south, he'd immediately rank the Knicks' fourth-leading scorer behind only the 20-plus point triumvirate of Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson, and RJ Barrett.
Anunoby's potential contributions both now and later also help him stand out from the deadline crowd: the four-year extension the Raptors granted him offers one more year of team control before a $20 million player option kicks in after the 2023-24 campaign.
New York (27-24) is well-used to Anunoby's antics: the Knicks dropped three of their four meetings to the Raptors this season and the British-born Indiana alum showed off his well-rounded game in the lone defeat on Jan. 6 to the tune of 13 points (6-of-12 from the floor), nine rebounds, and three steals.
Of course, price and impact will stand as the determining factors: whereas Anunoby could help the Knicks get back into the Eastern Conference's top six, breaking into the relative penthouse occupied by Boston, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Brooklyn could prove more difficult. Phoenix's draft pick supply is by no means a surplus, but they control all of their picks through 2030. With the team trying to claw its way back into a relatively open Western Conference (currently ensnared in a three-way tie for seventh place), they'll likely make a push for any help that could improve their odds of a return trip to the NBA Finals after falling in six-game fashion to Milwaukee in 2021.
The Knicks return to action on Tuesday night when the Los Angeles Lakers visit Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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