OG Anunoby’s ‘steep’ price tag could be enough to prevent Knicks trade
Now that the Kyrie Irving trade has been made official and the Nets reportedly aren’t interested in moving Kevin Durant ahead of the trade deadline, attention has shifted back to the New York Knicks’ division rival. What are the Raptors going to do?
OG Anunoby is the Toronto player that has gained the most traction in trade talks with eight teams (including New York) being linked to the 25-year-old. However, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, the Raptors “have communicated asking prices that rival front offices think is quite steep.” But as Fischer noted, teams that are holding out for Durant to possibly become available over the summer “will likely dampen the Raptors’ bidding war for Anunoby’s services.”
Over the past few weeks, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that New York was “comfortable” offering multiple first-round picks back in December when the Knicks reached out to the Raptors. On Jan. 30, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported (subscription required) shortly after that New York “has shown a willingness to offer multiple first-round picks” for Anunoby.
Based on what Fischer has heard, though, the Knicks could be one of the rival front offices that believe Toronto’s price tag for Anunoby is steep.
Raptors’ asking price for Knicks trade target OG Anunoby is ‘quite steep’
It was known that OG Anunoby had a high asking price to begin with, but with there being less than a day left until the deadline, it seems to be enough to keep teams from moving forward with a trade.
The Knicks have what it would take to get Anunoby, but should New York meet Toronto’s demands? Anunoby wouldn’t be the star that the Knicks have long been in search of, but he’d be a nice piece to add to the roster while the front office waits for the right moment to pounce on the next available star.
New York, Indiana, and Brooklyn are the three Eastern Conference teams that are reportedly interested in trading for Anunoby. With Phoenix likely holding out ahead of the deadline in hopes that KD will be available over the summer, the two likeliest Western Conference teams that Anunoby could end up on are Memphis and New Orleans. The Lakers have expressed interest in Anunoby, too, and perhaps that’s a move that Rob Pelinka could make to appease LeBron James.
The best part is that it won’t be too much longer until Knicks fans learn more about OG Anunoby’s future.
