Is OG Anunoby On The New York Knicks' Trade Radar?
After James Harden was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Los Angeles Clippers, it could open the door for more trades around the league to commence. Could the New York Knicks be browsing the market for a starting-caliber player to add to their roster?
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report proposed a trade between the Toronto Raptors and Knicks in the wake of the Harden deal: in the hypothetical swap, OG Anunoby would end up in New York while Immanuel Quickley and Evan Fournier would be off to Toronto.
"Quickley would make a huge difference for this Raptors offense with his speed, bounce, and ability to shoot from all over the floor," Swartz writes. "The Knicks were reportedly interested in Anunoby last season, and they could insert him into a big starting lineup with Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson. New York also moves on from Fournier, which would be best for all parties at this point."
The Toronto Raptors drafted OG Anunoby in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft.
USA Today Sports
The Knicks (2-3) are no stranger to Anunoby rumors, having reportedly sought his services at last year's trade deadline. Anunoby is one of the better wing defenders in the NBA and is a quality offensive role player, averaging 11.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in seven seasons. He shoots 37.5 percent from deep on 4.3 attempts per game, which would help a Knicks group that has been stymied from three-point range over the last two seasons. The Indiana alum also led the league in steals last season, swiping 1.9 a game.
If such a deal would come to pass, the Knicks would be parting with Quickley, a promising young guard that just began his fourth NBA season. Last season, Quickley averaged a career-best 14.9 points and 4.4 rebounds en route to a runner-up finish in the most recent Sixth Man of the Year vote.
Fournier, on the other hand, has once again been exiled from the Knicks rotation after starting last year as the Knicks' primary shooting guard. He has yet to appear in a game this season despite some early one-sided affairs despite standing as an $18.8 million cap hit for this season.
Toronto (2-4) is widely expected to sell at the February trade deadline and a mediocre start has done to dispel that notion. Anunoby is far from the superstar the Knicks have been looking for, but he's certainly worth keeping an eye on if/when they opt to hit the reset button.
The Knicks and Raptors, currently engaged in a different kind of court battle, will square off on Dec. 1 in Toronto. In the meantime, the Knicks open NBA In-Season Tournament play on Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN).
