Every NBA team needs to balance its salary sheet. With that in mind, they ask themselves a series of questions. First, they ask themselves how much a roster is likely to cost. Then, they ask themselves whether that roster is worth that price.
When a team is underperforming, they may make cost-cutting moves. After all,. no owner wants to dip into the luxury tax for a team with no chance of winning an NBA title. At the moment, the Toronto Raptors are veering into that dangerous territory. OG Anunoby will soon need a contract extension. The Raptors are middling. Are they really going to commit the sum to Anunoby that hell command on the open market?
Time will tell. The Raptors may want to see if they make strides under a new head coach. With that said, Anunoby has to be seen as a trade candidate. The Raptors could strongly consider moving him before he’s due for that extension. Could they send him to the New York Knicks?
The Trade Proposal
Toronto Raptors Receive: G/F Evan Fournier, 2026 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2028 First-Round Pick (NYK)
New York Knicks Receive: F OG Anunoby
With that said, trying to predict what the Raptors will do could be a fool’s errand. This team was widely expected to blow up their roster at the deadline. They didn’t. Instead, the Raptors were buyers, bringing Jakob Poeltl back into the fold. Did they make mistakes last season?
Time will tell. It may be fair to say that the Raptors should have traded Fred VanVleet ahead of his foray into NBA free agency. After all, he left the team anyway – and the Raptors didn’t get any value in return. They’d have gotten a subpar return for an impeding flight risk at the deadline, but it would have been more than they ultimately got for VanVleet.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors & New York Knicks Updates
So, the Raptors need to trade Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, right? Not so fast. Recently, the Raptors have been heavily linked to Damian Lillard. Like we said, make predictions about the Raptors at your own peril. Does this prediction have a chance of coming to reality?
Why The Toronto Raptors Do The Deal
The Raptors do the deal to avoid paying Anunoby. It’s that simple. With that said, if this team has financial motives, they could hardly ask for a better deal than this one.
After all, Fournier is on an expiring contract. The Raptors are freeing up a lot of money heading into next summer by making this deal. Meanwhile, if Fournier makes a comeback in Toronto, they could flip him to a contender at the deadline if they so choose. Still, even if they don’t, they should like his expiring deal.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors & New York Knicks Updates
they’ll like the unprotected first-round picks more. The Raptors would likely be committing to a rebuild around Scottie Barnes, If the Raptors go that route, they’ll need first-rounders, and a pair should be market value for Anunoby. Should the Knicks give up so much draft capital?
Why The New York Knicks Do The Deal
Some Knicks fans will question this move. The team just extended Josh Hart. They’ve already got RJ Barrett. Isn’t that enough of their cap space committed to wings? Sure – unless they trade Barrett down the line, that is.
After all, Hart can play the 2. Anunoby can play the 4. There’s plenty of versatility between these two. If the Knicks have a logjam of wings, they should move Barrett before they avoid trading for Anunoby. He’s young and inconsistent, and the Knicks are in win-now mode.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors & New York Knicks Updates
Let’s assume they can move Barrett for an expiring deal or two. Suddenly, they’ll have the cap space to commit to Anunoby. He’ll be worth the commitment – this is one of the best 3-and-D wings in the NBA. If the Knicks have to go into the luxury tax to keep him, they might be in a position to justify that expense.
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