The trade between the New York Knicks and Raptors on Dec. 30 has been a rare win-win move for both sides. New York pushed closer to contention with OG Anunoby, while Toronto got two solid young players in RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
The Knicks look scary good with Anunoby in the lineup, but he's been out for the past couple of weeks with a bone spur irritation in his elbow that required surgery. He's expected to miss at least three weeks and will benefit from the upcoming All-Star break.
Barrett is back in Toronto, averaging a career-best 20.8 points per game. He has more freedom in the Raptors' offense, something he didn't get playing alongside Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. Immanuel Quickley is a starter, averaging a career-high 16.8 points per game. If he would've stayed in New York, he'd still be playing behind Brunson.
When the trade first went down, it was a shock. Knicks fans struggled with the loss of Quickley and Barrett (mainly IQ) while trying to convince themselves that Anunoby would be worth it. The first 24 hours were tough, but once he made his debut, it was clear Anunoby was a massive upgrade.
A month and a half later, both fan bases are still happy with the trade. There's already plenty of evidence that New York and Toronto benefitted from the move, which made it that much stranger to hear two Raptors fans on the "Hip Hop Hoops" podcast talk as if it was a clear win by the Raptors.
These Raptors fans say that Masai Ujiri scammed the Knicks in the OG trade:
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) February 12, 2024
“Masai is the ultimate finesser… what he did to the Knicks by getting Quick and RJ for literally… not nothing, but OG… shoutout Masai”
(via @TidalLeague) pic.twitter.com/Na2ShKiJ90
Raptors fans call Masai Ujiri the "ultimate finesser" for Knicks trade
Again, it makes perfect sense why Toronto fans were (and still are) excited about the trade. Rather than lose Anunoby for nothing in free agency, the Raptors got Barrett and Quickley in return.
Ujiri deserves to be appreciated by the fan base, but let's not pretend that Leon Rose didn't know what he was doing. It's been said a million times before, but Anunoby is an upgrade over Barrett. He's a legit off-ball player and one of the best defenders in the league.
It's not like Toronto got by with sending Precious Achiuwa (who has been solid for the Knicks) and Malachi Flynn to New York for Barrett and Quickley. That would've been an absolute steal by Ujiri. These two fans talk like Anunoby didn't immediately transform the Knicks.
It's still too soon to say which organization won the trade or which will benefit more in the long term. If Anunoby helps New York win a championship, will that make the Knicks the winners? If IQ turns into a star, will that make the Raptors the winners? Stay tuned!
Oh, and like Zach Lowe said, New York's front office is the best in the league!