The New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors shocked the NBA on Saturday when they finalized a trade that included players who had been with their respective teams since the beginning of their careers.
Trade Terms
Knicks Receive:
OG Anunoby
Precious Achiuwa
Malachi Flynn
Raptors Receive:
Immanuel Quickley
RJ Barrett
2024 Second-Round Pick
Knicks Analysis
For the Knicks, many fans were immediately upset, and understandably so. Quickley has been New York’s third-best player this year and Barrett was a former No. 3 overall pick who had high expectations. Even though both players do not have very high ceilings, it always stings to let core players go, especially when they have been with the same team since their rookie seasons.
With this being said, when you look at it objectively, the Knicks were never going anywhere the way they had been constructed. They won a playoff series last year, and that was probably the best it was going to get. While Anunoby does not move the needle too much, sometimes, the smallest moves surprise you the most.
Here is what the Knicks’ rotation looks like now:
PG: Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride
SG: Donte DiVincenzo, Quentin Grimes
SF: OG Anunoby, Josh Hart
PF: Julius Randle, Precious Achiuwa
C: Isaiah Hartenstein, Jericho Sims
This rotation is probably not making major waves, but with a healthy Mitchell Robinson next season, perhaps they can eventually win another playoff series.
Welcome to the Knicks, OG Anunoby!
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) December 30, 2023
Raptors Analysis
For the Raptors, whose loss on Saturday night gave the Pistons their first win in over two months, it looks like they are about to click the reset button. Anunoby has consistently been mentioned in trade rumors for several years, and now it finally happened. They probably got the best package they could receive at this point, especially since he Anunoby has a player option at the end of the season.
In return, Toronto received a 24-year-old who can score at will, plus a young wing with upside (even if his contract is unattractive). Barrett has three more years under contract and is getting paid an average of over $27 million each year.
Here is what the Raptors’ rotation looks like now:
PG: Scottie Barnes, Dennis Schroeder
SG: Immanuel Quickley, Gary Trent Jr.
SF: RJ Barrett, Otto Porter Jr.
PF: Pascal Siakam, Jalen McDaniels
C: Jakob Poeltl, Chris Boucher
Fans should note that the Raptors are reportedly exploring trades centered around Pascal Siakam, so this rotation could change. Moving Siakam would certainly be the right move; even though he proved he could be the No. 2 on a championship team in 2019, he probably can’t do that anymore. It is time for the Raptors to turn the page. They already received assets for Anunoby, and now it is time to do the same for Siakam and build around Barnes, who has a high ceiling.
Pascal Siakam dropped 20 PTS in the 3Q 🔥
Raptors-Pistons | Live on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/G82QfAI4B6 pic.twitter.com/jKDWwoPDiy— NBA (@NBA) December 31, 2023
Conclusion
The Knicks and the Raptors are two mediocre teams who are not expected to go anywhere this season. Both teams made tough decisions, but ones that will probably work out for both in the long run. Most trades end up with a winner and a loser, but I cannot see many scenarios where either Toronto or New York truly loses this swap.
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