The New York Knicks are expected to be very active during this year’s trade season. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic on Monday, the Knicks are willing to offer “multiple first-round picks” for Toronto Raptors star forward O.G. Anunoby.
“The Knicks and Suns are among the interested suitors in Raptors forward O.G. Anunoby, sources say. New York has shown a willingness to offer multiple first-round picks for Anunoby, according to those sources.”
Shams Charania of The Athletic
The Raptors are hoping that in moving the star defensive wing elsewhere, they can get a handful of draft picks in return to hasten any sort of rebuild they may undergo. It seems likely that they will part ways with at least one of Anunoby and star point guard Fred VanVleet, as both have been heavily talked about in trade rumors, given Toronto’s struggles this season.
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The Knicks have an array of draft picks in their arsenal, which many around the league expect those picks to be used to acquire star talent and make them a serious contender in the Eastern Conference.
For the Knicks to acquire the star forward, however, it may also take an additional player to be added to the dal along with the multiple draft picks. The first players that come to mind is Cam Reddish and Obi Toppin, as the Raptors are searching for size and athleticism to add to their roster. Both players are minimal contributors to the Knicks right now, and the expectation is that they will be looking to move at least one of the pair of wings as the deadline nears.
Anunoby is only 25 years old and has tremendous value being tabbed as one of the best wing defenders in the entire NBA right now. New York’s willingness to offer multiple first-round picks for a guy with strong upside shows that they see a great fit in him for their team and could be very aggressive in their pursuit.
Anunoby would fix some of the massive holes the Knicks have defensively, especially around the perimeter. New York has allowed the third most three-pointers to their opponents this season at 678 total made threes, so his services would certainly be welcomed instantly. He is also tied with Jimmy Butler for the league lead in steals per game at 2.1, and the Knicks would almost certainly love to have that type of defensive aggression from him.
Offensively, Anunoby would provide solid wing scoring from outside the arc as well. This season, he is averaging 16.9 points per game and is shooting 36.6% from three-point distance. He would serve as a very solid depth piece in an offense that includes three high-volume scorers in Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and RJ Barrett.
Anunoby could be a great fit to a Knicks team that is not too far off from being a contender, and he would be a great starting point in the process of becoming said contender. Will the Knicks pull the trigger and make a move to get him? Only time will tell.
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