From the moment the New York Knicks traded for OG Anunoby in December 2023, he made it clear they made the right call. More than 100 games and one $212.5 million contract later, the move no longer seems like the correct decision.
It looks like highway robbery.
This is not meant as an insult to who and what the Knicks shipped out to the Toronto Raptors. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley are good NBA players. Jonathan Mogbo, whom the Raptors selected with the second-rounder New York sent its way, might be, too.
Not one of them, though, is anywhere near as valuable as Anunoby. Not this version of Anunoby anyway—the one who spearheaded the Knicks come-from-behind Game 1 victory over the Boston Celtics Monday night, and also the one who has existed for much of this season.
OG Anunoby shined bright in Game 1 against the Celtics
When the Knicks fell behind by 20 points against the Celtics, it didn't just feel as if Game 1 was over. It seemed as if the series had already been won. Even with Boston struggling to find the cup from distance, this tilt oozed "Here we go again" vibes.
A handful of Knicks played critical parts in staging the comeback. Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and yes, Tom Thibodeau all left their imprint by the end of overtime.
But it was Anunoby who churned out the most complete performance of anyone, tying Brunson for the team lead with 29 points while shouldering an unfathomably heavy defensive workload that saw him check Jayson Tatum, help insulate Brunson during Boston's primary actions, and force momentum-shifting turnovers.
This is the version of Anunoby the Knicks need to upset the Celtics. It is also not the version of him for whom they traded.
Defensively? Sure. And as a three-point shot-maker? Absolutely, positively. But as someone who has a case to be the second most important, if not the flat-out second-best, offensive player on the team overall? Not so much. That is a welcomed, if slightly uncomfortable wrinkle. And it's not particularly new.
Knicks have gotten best version of Anunoby for a while
Anunoby has been on a meteoric ascent for essentially two months. When Brunson went down with a sprained right ankle back in March, he picked up a ton of the offensive slack, increasing his number of drives, free-throws drawn, and from-scratch creation.
This dependability has translated to the full-strength version of the Knicks. Yes, Anunoby is no longer tasked with as much self-creation or driving alongside Brunson. He continues to do most of his damage as an orbiting shooter.
Still, the trickle-down effects of that stretch remain. Defenses are reacting to him differently. The close-outs on him are more frantic, yet somehow less certain. Defenders are more worried about what he can do when operating from a dead stop.
Anunoby's comfort level dribbling into open space, and even some more crowded spaces, is at an all-time high. He has a better feel for attacking one-on-one, and delivering tough, ultra-physical finishes that go beyond the straight-line usage in which he used to almost exclusively traffic. He is shooting over 55 percent on drives for the playoffs, and was 4-of-4 on shots at the basket in Game 1 against Boston.
The Anunoby trade has gone from good to great to highway robbery
Rehashing this trade is not an attempt to trash the Raptors. A confluence of factors led to the move. He was an upcoming free agent, and they were staring down the barrel of quasi-reset. The aftermath will also continue to change, as they get more reps with Quickley, who missed nearly 50 games this season due to elbow and hip injuries.
At the same time, Toronto didn't trade this version of Anunoby. They traded a different one, someone closer to a three-and-D specialist than the second-most important player on a title contender.
This version of OG Anunoby isn't just invaluable to New York. Nor is it just the best version of OG Anunoby ever.
No, this version of OG Anunoby, the one for whom the Knicks didn't give up a single first-round pick, is a star.
Dan Favale is a Senior NBA Contributor for FanSided and National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.