The New York Knicks took a bit of a gamble yesterday acquiring pending free agent OG Anunoby (alomg with Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn) from the Toronto Raptors, while trading away RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and the Detroit Pistons 2024 second-round pick (likely the #31 overall pick) that they owned. New York will undoubtedly do all they can to retain Anunoby in free agency, so they didn’t trade three assets for nothing. The problem with that is that they are now backed into a corner and will likely have to overpay OG.

OG’s defense should endear him to Thibs in New York, but the ceiling for a Brunson, OG, and Randle team isn’t really higher than it was with Barrett and Quickley). Now if OG turns into a star suddenly at age 26 it’s a net positive, but it’s a risk for sure.

For the Raptors who have always had a high price tag attached to OG, they replace him with the younger Barrett who is locked in on a long term deal, so if they wanted to they could flip him in the next year, as opposed to Anunoby who was about to be a free agent. Quickley is another intriguing young piece who is facing his own free agency this summer as well. The likley top pick in the 2nd round has a decent amount of vaule as well.
For what it’s worth ESPN has the Knicks winning big in this trade. We shall see what other moves these two teams subsequently make with their new rosters between now and the NBA trade deadline. Toronto continues to take offers on Pascal Siakam.