Fred VanVleet: OG Anunoby Trade 'Perfect' for Knicks

Former Toronto Raptors teammate Fred VanVleet praised OG Anunoby's fit with the New York Knicks.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 18, 2024

Fred VanVleet: OG Anunoby Trade 'Perfect' for Knicks /

In this story:

New York Knicks

The New York Knicks have played well with OG Anunoby in the lineup. Anunoby's latest showcase with the Knicks came on Wednesday, when he scored 15 points and earned four steals in a 109-94 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Wednesday's win came against one of Anunoby's former Toronto Raptors teammates, Fred VanVleet. Prior to Wednesday's game, VanVleet, who led the Rockets with 24 points in defeat, praised the fit created in the Dec. 30 trade that sent RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley up north.

Fred VanVleet OG Anunoby — Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

“I thought it was absolutely perfect, a great trade for them,” VanVleet said of his former teammate via Peter Botte of The New York Post. “OG can space the floor and he’s an elite defender. And you probably won’t even see his true value until the playoffs, with all the different matchups. He can pretty much guard anybody."

Anunoby has been tied to a New York surge on the schedule: after Wednesday's win, the team is 7-2 with him in the lineup (including wins in each of their first five) and have posted a defensive rating of 104 since Jan. 1, the second-best in the league in that span. Entering Thursday play, the Knicks (24-17) sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and are on pace for 48 wins at the midway mark of the season.

It's still early, but if the first returns are any indication of who he will become, the Knicks made a pretty good decision in making that trade.

Knicks Might Be Patient (Again) In Trade For 'Another Star'

Anunoby and the Knicks are back in action tonight against the Washington Wizards (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

Published Jan 18, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.