Thunder, 76ers Named Destinations for Knicks Star

OG Anunoby is a free agent who could return to the New York Knicks, but he'll have interest elsewhere.

May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) warms up before game seven of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports | Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks will have a big decision this summer when it comes to the free agency of OG Anunoby.

The Knicks acquired Anunoby via trade on Dec. 30 from the Toronto Raptors, and New York found tremendous success with him in the lineup. Throughout the regular season and playoffs, the Knicks were 26-6 when Anunoby played. That should be enough reason to bring Anunoby back under any circumstances, but he should have suitors in free agency.

According to ClutchPoints reporter Brett Siegel, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Oklahoma City Thunder are considered to be a potential destination for Anunoby should he leave the Knicks.

"The belief around the league is that Anunoby will be opting out of his $19.9 million contract for the 2024-25 season to become an unrestricted free agent and seek the best deal possible," Siegel writes. "Should things come down to Anunoby going to the 76ers or the Knicks offering him a max deal, New York will not let their two-way forward leave for their immediate rivals, sources said. In this scenario, the Knicks would match any offer and keep Anunoby out of Philadelphia's hands. One team that has been whispered of as a possible sneaky suitor for Anunoby is the Oklahoma City Thunder. The addition of Anunoby alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be one of the best moves any team could possibly make this summer."

Anunoby's defense should make any team with decent players around him a contender, so if he were to join the top-seeded Thunder in the Western Conference, it would make them arguably the best team in the NBA.

It would also be a massive subtraction for the Knicks. Anunoby averaged 14.1 points per game on just over 39 percent shooting from beyond the 3-point line in the regular season for New York. That, coupled with his elite defense, really helped the Knicks on the wing. Without him, the Knicks simply aren't the same and they won't be able to hit their true ceiling if he ends up playing elsewhere.

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