Instant Reaction To Blockbuster Knicks Trade: Hello OG, Goodbye RJ & IQ
Sharing a bunch of thoughts about a landscape-altering day for the New York Knickerbockers...
Wow.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Just wow.
Talk about an absolute doozy hurtling out of the blue and knocking you for six.
I was out running errands earlier when a slew of notifications began to flood my phone. Intrigued, I opened up several social media sites to discover a Shams bomb that truly left me slack jawed.
My New York Knicks finally did it.
They finally pulled the trigger on a landscape-altering trade that sets this franchise up for something even greater and more consequential later down the line.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, the Knicks sent RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick in 2024 to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn.
It is a trade that has understandably divided the intensely passionate and always opinionated Knicks fanbase, and I’m sure this deal will be dissected and discussed ad nauseam over the coming days.
I’ve certainly got a lot of thoughts on Saturday’s blockbuster, and I’m going to attempt to unload some of them now.
However, I’ll preface what’s to come by pointing out that this won’t be an X’s & O’s breakdown of the trade. I’m not smart enough for that. Of the four major sports, basketball is the lowest on my totem pole and I don’t get to watch as many games across the league as I would like.
If you would prefer to hear from the experts, then I would suggest checking out
over at Knicks Film School. What Jonathan has accomplished with that wonderful site is beyond incredible, and he’s the smartest Knicks analyst / pundit out there. He’s also one of the smartest basketball minds out there. I would implore you to check out Jonathan’s take on today’s stunner, as well as the emergency podcast.You’ll be a lot smarter for it.
The only thing I would ask, however, is that you stick around to hear my musings on a trade that is going to shake up a hell of a lot of things, and then head over to Knicks Film School. I like to think this piece will compliment their article well - like a trusted and delicious PB&J.
Without wishing to tease you anymore, let’s dive right in…
🏀 Firstly, what an emotional, weird day for this franchise and for Knicks fans in general. I don’t think I’ve seen a trade spark a plethora of so many contrasting emotions as this one has. I think bittersweet is the most appropriate word to use right now.
🏀 Before I dive into the many different facets of this trade, it is abundantly clear that this is just another piece in the puzzle. The Knicks front office is building towards something hugely significant, the kind of deal that really will push this team over the top.
🏀 What that will be I have no clue. Donovan Mitchell is the obvious name that is forever linked with the Knicks, while I’ve also seen Jordan Clarkson and Dejounte Murray mentioned as potential targets. Personally, I would love to see Mitchell return home and help this franchise finally win a championship, but I have no idea if that is possible given the amount of teams interested in the four-time All-Star.
🏀 What we do know with certainty is that this can’t be it. It just can’t be. As I mentioned in the Knicks section of my New York Sports Christmas Gift Wish List the other day, which you can read right HERE, the Knicks need another star if they are to take the next giant leap. This team as currently constituted is not good enough to win a championship. It just isn’t.
🏀 To be honest, I’m not convinced this team is good enough to make the Eastern Conference Finals. Something they haven’t done since 2000, by the way. I just can’t see this version of the Knicks beating the Celtics, 76ers or Bucks in a best-of-seven. Not yet, anyway.
🏀 And they aren’t any closer after today’s deal. What the front office did on Saturday has not transformed the Knicks into a legit championship contender overnight. Not even close. But I think we all knew that. However, the fact that Knicks President Leon Rose didn’t have to give up a first-round draft pick for a player he’s long coveted is crucial for what could happen going forward. This team still has the flexibility and the assets needed to make the BIG MOVE later down the line. The exact kind of trade this organization has been building towards for decades now.
🏀 Because, let’s be honest for a second here, we all know the Knicks have been longing for a transcendent star for as long as the Dallas Cowboys have been trying to actually be relevant and win on the biggest stage. Sorry, Cowboys fans.
🏀 I’ll repeat it again for those at the back of the room - TODAY’S TRADE IS NOT THE END GAME. THERE IS ANOTHER MASSIVE MOVE TO COME AT SOME POINT!
🏀 Again, I’m far from a basketball savant, but the general consensus seems to be this was a rare win-win trade for both teams. Those were certainly the sentiments of Bill Simmons, who I trust more than most when it comes to this sport.
🏀 Some will say the Raptors emerged as the slight winners from this trade when you look at the margins of it, but you really need to look at the bigger picture as it pertains to the Knicks. This was a sideways move on the chess board before the check mate happens.
🏀 The Knicks needed wings and, more importantly, they needed defense. OG Anunoby ticks both of those boxes in a big, big way. Anunoby can be considered a truly elite defensive wing who offers size, versatility and the kind of high-end skillset that was previously missing on this roster.
🏀 In one huge swing, the Knicks have just improved substantially at one end of the floor. And they now have a legit potent three with Anunoby bringing elite defensive acumen to pair with the offensive prowess of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. As great as Brunson and Randle are, they are not good defensively and Anunoby could be the magic key that makes everything click into place. Anunoby isn’t a bona fide star by any stretch of the imagination, but he is a versatile weapon who is an All-Defensive Team-caliber player.
🏀 Anunoby is a true two-way player who offers the best chance of Brunson and Randle being the Batman & Robin act this team needs to succeed right now. I don’t think that can be argued.
🏀 There is a lot of talk about Anunoby being a free agent at the end of this season, but I wouldn’t be too worried for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the Knicks have chased Anunoby with as much passion and determination as Travis Kelce chased Taylor Swift (it is yet to be confirmed if the Knicks made friendship bracelets for Anunoby too), so I’m pretty sure the front office had some confidence at least that an extension was at least a strong possibility when they pulled the trigger on this trade. Secondly, Anunoby’s agent is the son of Leon Rose, so I’d say the chances of an extension getting done are high.
🏀 Anunoby currently earns $18.6 million, although that will probably double next year. However, given what the Knicks gave up, I’d expect the 26-year-old to be a long-term part of the plans at Madison Square Garden.
🏀 On that note, Anunoby can only sign a two-year, $40 million extension between now and June 29. After the six-month extension limit is lifted on June 30, Anunoby would then be free to sign the full four-year, $117 million extension. So something to watch. That’s per ESPN’s NBA Front Office Insider Bobby Marks.
🏀 Final note on Anunoby; he led the league in steals last year, he boasts a big body, a huge wingspan, and he can both disrupt offenses and provide offense too. He’ll give this Knicks team a different dynamic, and one they need. He’s averaging 15.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 60.8 percent shooting from two and 37.4 percent from three this season.
🏀Haven’t got too much to say on the other pieces included in this deal for New York, other than that Achiuwa could offer some depth at the center position, which would be a nice bonus.
🏀 Now for the bitter part of all of this…
🏀 I am sorry to see both Barrett and Quickley go. Both were homegrown players, both shared special relationships with the fanbase and both showed a lot of promise. The hope was that both players would end up as forever players in New York but, in case you needed reminding, sports is a cold-blooded business and the front office ultimately made the best decision for the franchise.
🏀 In the case of IQ, he was likely going to walk as a free agent this coming offseason. He’s on the final year of his rookie deal, which pays $4.2 million, and would be due a major pay day. There was no way the Knicks would have been able to keep Quickley and retain cap flexibility, so they made the smart move by including him in a package to obtain a player that will make them better. Getting something for Quickley now and not losing him for nothing in the summer was always going to be the smart play, no matter how tough it would have been to let him go.
🏀 Of course, losing Quickley is the toughest pill to swallow. It was obvious that he LOVED playing in New York, and he produced a slew of special moments in a Knicks jersey. I wouldn’t be surprise if he becomes an All-Star in the future. I’m more pissed that Quickley has gone than I am about Barrett.
🏀 However, I’m happy that Quickley will get better usage in Toronto as the perfect partner for Scottie Barnes. Just watch Quickley absolutely thrive as a high-impact starter with the Raptors now.
🏀 I’m thrilled for RJ that he gets to return home and play for his beloved Raptors. That’s a really cool story.
🏀 And I do hope that Barrett can fulfill his potential north of the border and morph into the player he flashed tantalizing signs of during his four and a bit years with the Knicks. I mean, his 2023 postseason was magical and I think we were all dreaming about what could be. However, Barrett’s biggest problem was always inconsistency and he could never really figure out how to put it all together. And that was truly maddening for everybody. Plus, he was never really a great fit with Randle or Brunson.
🏀 Barrett was infuriating to watch at times because you just wanted the kid to succeed and put this team on his back. There were moments, but never enough where you thought he could morph into the bona fide star this team so badly needed.
🏀 For all of his high upside, Barrett was never going to figure it out consistently enough in New York. I’m sorry, but if you haven’t been able to do so in four years, then I don’t think it will ever happen. Anunoby is a clear upgrade on Barrett, and he’ll be a much better fit in a three with Brunson and Randle. And there in lies the rub. This was a pure basketball trade and, as painful as it is, saying goodbye to Barrett and Quickley made the most basketball sense.
🏀 Just another stark reminder that you have to take the emotion out of deals like this.
🏀 I think what makes this tougher for Knicks fans is the fact that it is very feasible both Barrett and Quickley reach their ceilings with the Raptors and become high-impact players in the NBA. I hope that happens. I really do.
🏀 Two things can be right at the same time, and I want both success for the Knicks and individual success for Barrett and Quickly.
🏀 And that happening shouldn’t dictate whether this trade ultimately proves to be inspired or stupid by the Knicks. What will dictate that is what the front office does next. This move was just another flight of stairs on the way to the penthouse, but they aren’t there yet. They are now out of the basement, but the big time is still not quite within reach.
🏀 What this trade offers is short-term improvement, along with a lot of hope for the future. Having kept their treasure chest of first-round picks, the path is still there for the Knicks to go out and acquire the kind of elite star this franchise has chased for decades. The kind of big-hitting game-changer that will be needed to go from hopeful to legit contender.
🏀 And that’s what I’m left with today. The hope that more, much more, is still to come.
🏀 For now, I’m excited to see Brunson and Randle get the opportunity to play with a defensive genius in Anunoby, who could quickly become a fan favorite at The Garden.