Jazz Named Landing Spot for Knicks Star

The New York Knicks could lose OG Anunoby in free agency to the Utah Jazz.

May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) warms up before game seven of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks have their sights set on free agency and doing whatever they can to re-sign OG Anunoby.

However, Anunoby should have suitors beyond the New York Knicks, and one of those teams could be the Utah Jazz.

"If Anunoby doesn't have a new deal in hand as the market opens, just about anyone might flock to the 26-year-old who pairs all-caps ELITE defense with jack-of-all-trades versatility on offense. Any team with money to spend should give him a long look, but the Utah Jazz might be the most aggressive," Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report writes. "The Jazz would still need more pieces to compete in the loaded Western Conference, but Markkanen and Anunoby would be a solid start. The roster could take almost any shape from there."

It would be hard to see a player like Anunoby, who is approaching his prime, to leave a title contender like the Knicks to join a rebuilding project like the Jazz, but crazier things have happened in free agency.

Ultimately, Anunoby will follow the money, and Utah could be prepared to offer him a ton of cash to join the team. That being said, New York will likely look to match any offer.

Anunoby's max offer could come in at $42.3 million per year this summer. But according to The Athletic's Tim Cato, Anunoby is expected to sign a deal worth about $35-40 million per year.

If the Jazz come in to offer Anunoby a max contract, it could be slightly out of the Knicks' price range, but not enough to completely knock New York out of the running. It would definitely impede on the Knicks' ability to seek out other free agents by making Anunoby the largest player on the payroll, but a player like him would be worth it.

The Knicks were 20-3 when Anunoby was on the court this season and 30-29 when he was either on the sidelines or before his trade from the Toronto Raptors. During the playoffs, Anunoby was out for Games 3-6 against the Indiana Pacers with a hamstring injury, and the Knicks blew a 2-0 lead by going 1-3 in those contests.

Simply put, the Knicks need Anunoby and should give him a blank check in free agency if needed.

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