Knicks Price for OG Anunoby Revealed
Jalen Brunson was the commonly perceived MVP for the New York Knicks, but OG Anunoby's proof in numbers was hard to deny.
Between the regular season and playoffs, Anunoby donned his No. 8 uniform for 32 games after a late December trade with the Toronto Raptors. The Knicks posted a 26-6 record in those showings, leaping to the second seed on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket in the process.
Though Anunoby dealt with numerous ailments in his brief tour with the Knicks (including all but five minutes of the Knicks' final five playoff games), he'll no doubt become one of the most sought-after talents if/when he declines the $19.9 million player option that came over from Canada.
An anonymous NBA executive spoke with Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports and mentioned offseason expectations for both the Knicks and Anunoby once the free agency process inevitably gets underway.
“If you’re the Knicks, you’re hoping this thing tops out around $35 million a year,” the exec told Deveney. “Four years, $140 million, in a vacuum, is probably where it would land. But OG just needs one other team to get involved and drive up that price. Then you’re going from $35 million a year to $45 million a year and maybe all the way up to a max.”
Anunoby's marks on the Knicks' fortunes, evident by both conventional and advanced measures, can't be denied. New York gave up a fair bit (namely homegrown franchise faces RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley) to obtain his services, so it's fair to assume that Anunoby was always meant to be a long-term Manhattanite. Of note, Anunoby's agent is Sam Rose, who has continued the work of his father ... former agent and current Knicks president Leon.
With all that said, however, that's apparently not going to stop Anunoby from seeking out the largest payday of his career to date, especially knowing that he'll have his fair share of suitors. Some have pegged the rival Philadelphia 76ers as an ideal spot for the 2019 champion and that Anunoby's entourage could well exploit that desire for financial leverage.
“Imagine the optics if the Knicks lose OG this summer,” the exec said in Deveney's report. “I mean, that looks terrible, right? They’re not going to let it happen. They don’t want to go to the max, but they could have to beat a big offer from the Sixers or someone else. That’s what all the talk is, it is a leverage play from OG’s people.”
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI
Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks