It's not like nobody knew the New York Knicks were interested in OG Anunoby, as he was a player they had checked in on. However, that didn't make the December 2023 trade less of a shock. A typical Saturday turned into fans struggling to accept the departure of two homegrown talents.
Anunoby quickly proved why the Knicks traded for him when he entered the lineup in January. New York looked unstoppable, and talk of the team making it past the second round for the first time in over two decades ramped up. Unfortunately, the high hopes began to dissipate at the end of the month when Julius Randle dislocated his shoulder and Anunoby missed a chunk of time with an elbow injury that required minor surgery.
Anunoby returned at the end of the regular season, but he hurt his hamstring in the second round of the playoffs. He started in Game 7, but Tom Thibodeau took him out after a few minutes, as Anunoby struggled to get up and down the court. Fans worried it was the last time they'd see OG in a Knicks uniform.
Everyone knew he'd decline his player option for 2024-25 and enter unrestricted free agency. The Sixers had their eye on Paul George (look at how that's turned out for them), but reportedly planned to pivot to Anunoby if they didn't get PG13. Anunoby ended up agreeing to return to New York on a five-year, $212.5 million contract that was criticized instantly by many (even though committing that kind of money to a player isn't as daunting as it once was).
OG Anunoby reaches 70-game mark in first full season with Knicks
Doubters pointed to Anunoby's injury history as the main reason why the Knicks shouldn't have given him "that much money." He's dealt with numerous injuries since he was drafted by the Raptors in 2017, but New York wasn't about to let him leave in free agency after trading for him seven months earlier.
The Knicks' game against the Cavaliers on Wednesday marked Anunoby's 70th game of the season, the most he's played since he was a rookie in 2017-18 (74). He could set a career-high in regular-season games played, as New York has six left.
Anunoby is having a career season, too. He's averaging a career-high 17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game with 47/37/82 shooting splits.
As a team, the Knicks have struggled without Jalen Brunson for the past month, but not OG. He's averaging 23.1 points per game with Brunson sidelined. Anunoby can (and should) continue to be aggressive on the offensive end when the point guard returns.
Anunoby has elevated his game in his ninth season in the league, and it's happened at the perfect time.