Immanuel Quickley was named one of Zach Lowe's most intriguing players for the 2025-26 season, with Lowe calling him the lynchpin for the Raptors' success while highlighting how few games he's played over the last two years. The fact that the Raptors still don't know what they have with Quickley is just further evidence of how clearly the Knicks won the OG Anunoby trade.
Back in December of 2023, the Knicks shipped Quickley, RJ Barrett, and a 2024 second-round pick to the Raptors in exchange for Anunoby.
At the time, cases could have been made for both sides coming away with the better end of the bargain. Fast forward to today, and it is crystal clear that the Knicks made out like bandits. Barrett's name has been circulating in trade rumors, and Quickley has struggled to remain on the court. Meanwhile, Anunoby has blossomed into a key role player for the Knicks.
Quickley has struggled to remain on the floor in Toronto
You will find no Knicks fan happy that Quickley has struggled to stay healthy with the Raptors. He was one of the most beloved players in New York in recent years, and Knicks fans want to see him succeed as much as Raptors fans do.
Unfortunately for Quickley, things haven't panned out that way so far. As Lowe noted in his podcast, The Zach Lowe Show, Quickley should have moved past the point of being listed with intriguing players by this point in his career. However, the Raptors' guard has only appeared in 71 total games over the last two seasons.
Anunoby has thrived in New York
Anunoby, on the other hand, appeared in 74 games for the Knicks last season alone. He is one of the best and most versatile defenders in the entire league, and his offensive game has evolved significantly since the trade.
Last season, Anunoby averaged a career-high 18 points per game for the Knicks while shooting well from behind the 3-point line at 37.2 percent on the year. Settling in as comfortably as their third-best player on that end of the floor behind Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Everyone knows the type of talent Quickley brings to the table when he is healthy; Knicks fans know it better than anyone. However, until he is able to show it consistently for the Raptors, it is hard to make an argument for how the Knicks didn't come away with the better side of the trade.