Raptors' OG Anunoby Involved in Trade Rumors

The 2022 NBA Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, and former Indiana Hoosier and current Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby could traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for the No. 7 pick.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported on Thursday that the Portland Trail Blazers are in pursuit of Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby with the No. 7 overall pick in Thursday's NBA Draft.

Anunoby is coming off his best season in the NBA, averaging 17.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game with a 44.3 field goal percentage and 36 percent 3-point shooting.

This news comes after the Trail Blazers traded their 2025 first-round pick for Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant on Wednesday. Portland went into full-rebuild mode at the end of the 2021-2022 season by trading C.J. McCollum, Larry Nance Jr., Robert Covington and Norman Powell, which led to a 2-21 finish to the season. 

Despite this late-season sell off, the Trail Blazers could be in position to make the playoffs during the 2022-2023 season with the addition of Grant and possible trade for Anunoby. Portland could also decide to keep the No. 7 overall pick and use it to draft a player like Bennedict Mathurn, Shaedon Sharpe, Dyson Daniels, Jeremy Sochan, A.J. Griffin, among others. 

Trading for Anunoby would give the Blazers a versatile small forward seemingly entering the prime of his career. At 6-foot-7, Anunoby is a career 37 percent 3-point shooter and is considered a strong defender. 

Anunoby has played all five NBA seasons for the Raptors, starting in 227 of 301 games. Anunoby was overlooked in high school as the No. 294 player in his class, but his raw athleticism and variety of skills made him attractive to NBA scouts after a few college seasons.

Playing 13.7 minutes per game as a freshman at Indiana, Anunoby and the Hoosiers won the Big Ten regular season and reached the Sweet 16. Anunoby experienced a breakout sophomore campaign where he averaged 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds. Indiana defeated Kansas and North Carolina to start Anunoby's sophomore season, but Anunoby had season-ending knee surgery 16 games into the year and the Hoosiers crumbled down the stretch, missing the NCAA Tournament.

Anunoby was drafted 23rd overall after appearing in 50 games as a Hoosier. He has steadily improved in the NBA and received a four-year, $72 million contract extension in December of 2020.

Related stories on Indiana basketball: 

• OG ANUNOBY'S PLAYOFF EMERGENCE: No team has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit in NBA playoffs history. The Toronto Raptors lost the first three games of their series with the Philadelphia 76ers, but now can even the series Thursday night on their home court. Former Indiana star OG Anunoby has played an integral role in the Raptors' comeback. CLICK HERE
• RENEAU, BANKS MAKE STRONG FIRST IMPRESSION: Race Thompson is back for his sixth season at Indiana, and he's already excited about forwards Malik Reneau and Kaleb Banks, two freshmen who make up half of Indiana's top-10 2022 recruiting class. CLICK HERE
• GERONIMO'S POTENTIAL MOVE TO SMALL FORWARD: Jordan Geronimo showed potential as a Big Ten starter last season, but playing behind veteran forwards Race Thompson and Trayce Jackson-Davis limited his minutes. Geronimo has proved himself as a strong defender and rebounder, but improved decision making and ball-handling in the offseason could help the 6-foot-6 junior earn minutes at small forward. CLICK HERE
• RACE THOMPSON'S OFFSEASON DEVELOPMENT: Race Thompson has been a force in the paint at Indiana, but he's aiming to improve his outside shot this offseason ahead of his sixth season as a Hoosier. Thompson talked with the media on Thursday about his offseason goals. CLICK HERE