Raptors and Knicks ‘finalizing a deal to send OG Anunoby Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to New York in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a draft pick’
- Barrett is from Toronto and was just traded back to his hometown team
- Anunoby offers an option at small forward that the Knicks previously did not have
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In a massive deal, the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors have put aside their legal issues in an attempt to pull off a blockbuster transaction.
According to multiple reports, the Raptors are sending OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa and guard Malachi Flynn to the Knicks in exchange for guards RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, plus a second-round pick.
It's a move that will likely sting for both groups of fans, as both Anunoby and Barrett became favorites in their hometown.
Barrett re-signed with the Knicks in September 2022, becoming the first Knicks player to agree to a multi-year extension on a rookie deal since Charlie Ward in 1999.
But now he's heading back to his hometown of Toronto to play for the Raptors, who needed consistency at the two-guard spot.
In a stunning Saturday trade, the New York Knicks are acquiring OG Anunoby from Toronto
In return, Toronto native RJ Barrett will return to his hometown to play for the Raptors
Barrett was the Knicks' third-leading scorer – averaging 18.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
The loss of Immanuel Quickley will also do significant damage to the team, as he was the Knicks' fourth-best scorer, averaging 15 points per game and 24 minutes per night. He is one of the top candidates for the league's Sixth Man of the Year award.
Barrett and Quickley played the same role and their roles will likely be filled by Josh Hart and Quentin Grimes.
Meanwhile, Anunoby gives the Knicks a true small forward, something they had been missing on their current roster.
The London-born Anunoby averaged 15.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in Toronto.
As for the other two pieces going back to the Knicks, Achiuwa goes from battling Pascal Siakam for minutes to battling Julius Randle for minutes.
He averaged 7.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists over 25 games and 17.5 minutes per night.
Meanwhile, Flynn is a good bench option, averaging 5.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
They also traded Immanuel Quickley (L) and Precious Achiuwa, as well as some other pieces
In short, this move fulfills the needs of both teams. The Raptors now have a player who can step up and claim the minutes that the struggling Gary Trent Jr. at the shooting guard spot, and both Barrett and Quickley are consistent scorers.
For the Knicks, the addition of Anunoby gives the team a small forward option that they didn't have before.
Plus, with Achiuwa coming in, the Knicks have someone who can take over the role that the now-injured Mitchell Robinson temporarily had.
The trading partners themselves are also interesting, as the two teams are currently in the middle of a legal battle.
The Knicks sued the Raptors for $10 million in damages, arguing that Toronto stole proprietary information.
The Raptors' head of video held a similar position with the Knicks and the team claims he stole “play frequency reports, a prep book for the 2022-2023 season, video scouting files and materials and more” before coming to Toronto last season.