NBA Exec on OG Anunoby Rumors: Knicks ‘Can’t Lose’ Him, ‘Not Feasible’ After Trade

The New York Knicks may have little recourse but to give OG Anunoby whatever contract he desires in free agency.

“They can’t lose him, the same way (Pascal) Siakam’s getting the max from (the) Indiana (Pacers). You can’t trade for somebody, give so much up and then let him go. It’s not feasible,” one NBA executive told Fred Katz of The Athletic.

The Knicks sent RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn in December.

Anunoby averaged 14.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists after the trade, numbers that don’t jump off the page but undersell his value. The Indiana product is one of the best 3-and-D wings in the NBA, using his lateral quickness and length to regularly bother the league’s best scorers. He’s also a career 37.6 percent shooter from three-point range and was an instant favorite of coach Tom Thibodeau upon his arrival.

Still, the price is expected to get awfully steep for a non-All-Star once Anunoby hits the open market. He’s expected to command upwards of $35 million annually, a jarring number that will send costs soaring for a Knicks core that has not gotten farther than the second round. Between Anunoby and center Isaiah Hartenstein, the Knicks could wind up paying more than $50 million per year to a pair of role players this offseason.

That will leave little room for the front office to improve the team around Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, but the front office went into the acquisition with eyes wide open. Anunoby was always bound for free agency; now they’ll just have to decide whether breaking the bank is worth it.