New York, NY - Just ahead of the new year the New York Knicks find themselves in an interesting predicament. As they get ready to strap in for a second-half playoff push, Scott Perry and the rest of the front office has decided that the Knickerbockers need a personnel change.
OG Anunoby contests R.J. Barrett at the rim in a 2021 matchup. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
Espn insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported today that the New York Knicks sent former 3rd overall pick R.J Barrett, sixth man of the year candidate Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa.
The internet’s initial reaction to this move was one-sided, with opinions stating that the Knicks were “robbed” and “fleeced”. I will not say that my opinions are drastically different, but there are certainly a few things that we can take from either side of this move.
From Toronto’s point of view I see why you would make this move. In getting Immanuel Quickley you gain a serious scoring threat who does not bring much of a defensive presence however teams will have to pay attention to him when he has the ball in his hands. The Wildcat alum is averaging 15.0 ppg this season in just 25 minutes, a couple minutes less than he was seeing last season, but he is shooting better splits both from the floor and from three.
RJ Barrett had high expectations placed on his shoulders, after all he was drafted 3rd overall after playing on one of the greatest NCAA basketball teams of all time, the 2018 Duke Blue Devils. Since arriving in the league, RJ has had his time to be allowed to develop into his final product, but now that we are seeing it, it makes sense that the Knicks are willing to part ways. RJ Barrett is going to be a great piece, and he is going to work well alongside the players that are up in Toronto, but he is going to come with a hefty price tag. This leads me to believe that there is something promising coming up in NYC.
I am a little confused about the direction the Knicks are trying to head in with this move. Are they cutting cap in order to make a move for a big three with Brunson and Randle? It seems as if they believe that they are in a win now mentality, and they have added two really underrated rotational pieces to this roster.
Precious Achiuwa is a great defensive and hustle player. He is not necessarily prominent in the offensive game, but he is definitely a rotational piece that a lot of teams in the league could use.
The real diamond in the rough of this trade is OG Anunoby. A fully developed, ring-bearing, three-and-D guy is one of the hardest things to find in the NBA. It was inevitable that the Knicks were about to make a move for him in the summer, but why not try and get ahead of it and acquire him for the remainder of this season. Anunoby this season is averaging a quiet 15 ppg, along with boasting one of the best defensive ratings for a wing in the league.
The Knicks definitely got themselves something special with this move, but all eyes are on what move they will make next in order to keep up with the beasts in the east.
The Toronto Raptors are sitting in 12th place in the east and face a Pistons team that has not given anyone trouble in a long time tonight, December 30th.
The New York Knicks have a 17-14 record and are in 7th in the eastern conference right now. They take on an Indiana Pacers team that could give them a long night.
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