The New York Knicks were always favored to re-sign forward OG Anunoby, even before he was set to hit free agency. The fit on the team was too seamless and his immediate impact jolted them into title contention. He became a guy that they simply couldn’t lose.
OG Anunoby nearly left the Knicks at the start of the offseason
However, it reportedly wasn’t as easy to retain him as it may have seemed. According to the New York Daily News’ Kristian Winfield, the forward that the Knicks traded two key players for back in December nearly left in free agency to seek a different opportunity.
“Anunoby threatened to leave the Knicks in free agency just months after they acquired him,” Winfield wrote.
A team that was rumored to be heavily interested in Anunoby’s services was the Philadelphia 76ers, who the Knicks defeated in the first round of the playoffs this past season. After New York was able to ink Anunoby to a five-year, $212 million contract before he even made it to the open market, Philadelphia decided to up the ante and sign superstar Paul George, so now both teams are set up to take down the Boston Celtics for the Eastern Conference crown.
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Anunoby was the Knicks’ most impactful player last season
It can’t be understated how important Anunoby is to the Knicks. He gives them a defensive identity that makes them one of the most imposing teams in the entire league. Last season, including the playoffs, they were 26-6 in the games he played and 31-32 in the games he didn’t play (including before the trade). Despite the small sample size of games, Anunoby’s regular season plus-minus with New York sat at +353, which was fourth in the entire NBA since Jan. 1.
In addition to bringing Anunoby back, they were able to add Mikal Bridges through a trade earlier this summer to form one of the scariest defensive duos in the league. Those two guarding opposing teams’ best players is a massive luxury for the Knicks to have.
The team did suffer a loss this offseason, though, as Isaiah Hartenstein left to sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency. That is a tough pill for them to swallow, as their center depth on the roster has now weakened severely. However, it is easier to replace Hartenstein’s production than it would’ve been to replace Anunoby’s, so the Knicks still won the offseason by returning the guy who made the biggest impact for them last season.
