RJ Barrett Breaks Silence on 'Bittersweet' Knicks Tenure After OG Anunoby Trade

Former New York Knick RJ Barrett reflected on his time in Manhattan after being traded to the Toronto Raptors.

After being traded to the Toronto Raptors, RJ Barrett looked back on his time with the New York Knicks with rose-colored glasses. 

Barrett is firmly entrenched in Toronto's system, just over a week removed from the deal that sent him and Immanuel Quickley north in exchange for a three-player package headlined by OG Anunoby. The Canadian-born wing was drafted by the Knicks with the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke University and played in four-plus seasons for New York.

Fresh off a season-best 37-point outing in Toronto's Tuesday win over Golden State, Barrett spoke about his rollercoaster tenure with the Knicks with Marc J. Spears of Andscape.

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“I helped build something in New York,” Barrett told Spears. “When I came there we weren’t good. I left it a lot better than when it started. (It's) definitely bittersweet, but I’m happy for those guys over there. They are happy about the trade they made and I wish nothing but the best for them."

Barrett started in all but one of his 297 games for the Knicks, averaging 18.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on 51.8 percent true shooting. While those stats were decent enough and he played a role in two New York playoff runs, Barrett often struggled to live up to his third-pick billing.

Eventually, the Knicks stop being patient with Barrett, trading him and the free-agent-to-be Quickley on Dec. 30 for Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, Malachi Flynn, and a 2024 second-round pick. Both sides appear to have benefitted from the switch in their early returns: Toronto is 3-1 upon Barrett's return home to Ontario while the Knicks (21-15) have won four in a row with Anunoby on the roster.

Even with the wistful ending, Barrett expressed gratitude for how New York changed him on a personal level. 

"I grew up as a player and a person over there in New York," Barrett said. "Those 4½ years, I will never forget.”

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Barrett and Quickley return to New York when Toronto (15-21) visits Madison Square Garden on Jan. 20. In the meantime, they face the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night while the Knicks host the Portland Trail Blazers (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).