According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors are finalizing a deal centred around forward OG Anunoby.
Sources indicate that the full deal will see the Raptors acquire RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a 2024 second round pick in exchange for Anunoby, G Malachi Flynn, and forward Precious Achiuwa.
Anunoby had long been on the Knicks radar as a potential trade deadline target, and will now get an extended look at the 26 year old before he becomes a free agent in the offseason. The 6’7″ small forward is currently averaging 15.1pts/3.9reb/2.6ast per game on .489 FG% while shooting 37.4% from beyond the arc.
Long rumoured to be on the trading block, Raptors President Masai Ujiri finally pulled the trigger on an Anunoby deal after being courted by numerous teams the last two seasons, including the Knicks, Trail Blazers, and Heat amongst others.
Achiuwa will help add some bench depth to the 17-14 Knicks, as he’s played well in a limited role for the Raps thus far, recording 7.7pts/5.4reb per contest in 17 minutes a night. 25 year old guard Malachi Flynn is also part of the package headed to New York to absorb some of Quickley’s minutes.
For Toronto, getting a good lead guard with offensive upside is something they’ve been missing since moving on from Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet. Quickley, 24, is just that as he’s in the midst of a career high 15 points per night in only 24 minutes per game. Stuck behind Jalen Brunson on the depth chart, the Raptors are hoping that a change of scenery and more opportunity will help unlock his full potential.
While the pick is a nice bonus, the real haul coming back to Canada is former 3rd overall selection RJ Barrett. The 23 year old is averaging 18.2pts/4.3reb/2.4ast per night, and will instantly add some offense to a Raptors unit currently ranked 21st in the NBA at 113.2 points per game.
The 6’6″ SG/SF is a Toronto native, and will instantly become a fan favourite from day 1. For whatever reason, the Knicks organization never fully embraced the Duke product after taking him in the 2019 NBA Draft. Perhaps being stuck in the mentality of “missing out” on Zion Williamson and Ja Morant who were selected 1st and 2nd overall respectively.
However, much like Quickley, a change of jersey colour could be exactly what the doctor ordered for Barrett, who’s been a part of some hard working, but largely dysfunctional Knicks squads so far in his career.
When the trade becomes official, it will mark the first deal between the clubs in a decade, and comes amidst a lawsuit between the franchises over allegations of improper file sharing between team officials.
The deal is still pending final approvals.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.