Immanuel Quickley Trade Leaves Knicks Bench in a Tight Spot

The New York Knicks' defense should benefit from OG Anunoby's arrival, but the second unit loses a consistent playmaker in Immanuel Quickley.

The New York Knicks finally fulfilled the demand of the masses and used their strong capital to make a trade. Newcomer OG Anunoby should certainly help the team's defensive prospects, but the deal came at a price, as young talents RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were sent north to the Toronto Raptors.

While losing Barrett, the third pick of the 2019 draft, stings, dealing away Quickley might hurt just a bit more. Bleacher Report felt that Quickley's departure was a late entry for the Knicks' biggest regret of the 2023 calendar year. 

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"Quickley was second in Sixth Man of the Year voting last season for a reason," Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report writes. "His impact on the second unit and in the closing lineup will be hard to replace, though the extension Miles McBride signed the same day Quickley was dealt suggests the Knicks think he's ready to step up."

"Still, if New York had a sense a deal involving Quickley was possible after extension talks fell off, maybe a little more depth at the position should have been a priority."

BREAKING: Knicks Finalizing Trade For OG Anunoby; Barrett, Quickley Bound For Toronto

While Jalen Brunson provides great playmaking in the starting lineup with six assists per game, there is now no solidified playmaker for the bench unit. While the Knicks did extend McBride and acquire fourth-year guard Malachi Flynn in the trade with the Raptors, filling the hole left by Quickley is not going to be an easy task. The Knicks (17-15) averaged 45.9 points off the bench over their first 32 games, but nearly a third that leaves with Quickley, who was setting a career-high in scoring this season despite dwindling minutes. 

Anunoby, Flynn, and Precious Achiuwa could make their New York debuts on Monday afternoon when the Knicks return home to face the Minnesota TImberwolves (3 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV).