Would Knicks be a contender after this deadline trade for OG Anunoby?
Would the Knicks make this trade?
There are two components to this deal. The first is that OG Anunoby is a really good 3-and-D player who would make the Knicks better from day one. He would likely start at the 3 (if you think Tom Thibodeau is going to start games with a centerless lineup, I have a timeshare in Atlantis to sell you), giving the Knicks a formidable starting 5: Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, OG Anunoby, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson.
Anunoby is incredibly versatile defensively, able to defend smaller guards or slide down and take on burlier forwards. On offense, he doesn’t do much with the ball in his hands, but whether that is a result of a lack of skill or a lack of opportunity is hard to know (either way, he’s unlikely to do much playing next to Brunson, Barrett and Randle). He has improved as both a shooter and a cutter which will help him fit into lineups with the Knicks that aren’t always well-balanced.
The other component of this deal is setting the stage for the next star. This trade would leave the young core — Quickley, Grimes, Miles McBride, Jericho Sims, Obi Toppin and Barrett — fully intact, with a bevy of picks still in the coffers. Whether it’s Karl-Anthony Towns or Devin Booker or Trae Young, the Knicks would be well set up to make that future move.
So would the Knicks make this deal? Absolutely, they would. It helps them now without sacrificing the future, and it would make the Knicks a truly ferocious defensive team. Would it make them a contender? They would still lack a true top-15 player to elevate the offense and excel in the playoffs, so the Knicks would remain outside the ring of contenders, but they would certainly be a tough out in the playoffs.
