The New York Knicks‘ interest in O.G. Anunoby appears to have waned or perhaps cooled off by the Toronto Raptors’ high asking price.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer via SNY’s The Putback, the Knicks nor the Brooklyn Nets are not actively engaged with the Raptors about a potential Anunoby deal with two days left before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. Fischer added that Anunoby’s price is “very, very high,” according to several teams around the league.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania earlier reported New York’s willingness to offer multiple first-round picks for Anunoby, but it was unclear if they were their own unprotected picks or the protected picks they have acquired from other teams.
Anunoby’s high price tag may scare buyers at the trade deadline in the aftermath of the Kyrie Irving trade.
All eyes are now on Kevin Durant, who requested a trade last summer due to his doubts about the Nets’ ability to build a championship team. With him as the lone star in Brooklyn, that championship may now be out of reach.
Teams like the Knicks may be better off holding their draft capital for a potential Durant trade request in the offseason, if not before this trade deadline.
Under Leon Rose, the Knicks have no history of swinging for a blockbuster deal midseason. They are known for working around the fringes, especially with Tom Thibodeau finally figuring out his rotation that has changed the team’s trajectory. When his starting six, which includes Immanuel Quickley, was healthy, the Knicks posted a 15-7 record anchored by the second-best net rating (+7.8) in the league, ranking sixth in offense (117.1) and second in defense (109.4), per NBA’s advanced stats.
The 29-26 Knicks enter Tuesday’s road game in Orlando only half-game outside the top six in the Eastern Conference.
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