Prior to the team’s hot streak, someone within the Knicks organization reached out to the Raptors to inquire about a potential deal for OG Anunoby, Ian Begley of SNY TV reports. That would have signaled a major roster shakeup. Anunoby is averaging 18.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. The Knicks would have needed to surrender serious assets to acquire Anunoby, who has two years left on his four-year, $72MM contract.
We have more from the New York teams:
- In the same piece, Begley reports that the Knicks were a few defeats away from a major shakeup after getting blown out by Dallas on Dec. 3. Even before that loss, a top Eastern Conference executive tried to convey through back channels that he would be an ideal candidate for team president if Leon Rose lost his job.
- Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau hasn’t always seemed particularly enamored with center Mitchell Robinson. But Thibodeau feels Robinson has been a major catalyst during the seven-game winning streak. “Every game, it’s protecting the rim, making good decisions, guarding the pick and roll and then offensively, his offensive rebounding, then putting pressure on the rim,” the coach said. Robinson is in the first year of a four-year, $60MM contract.
- Nets center Nic Claxton recently declared he should be a prime candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award. His coach and teammates certainly value his rebounding and defense, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. “He guards multiple positions for us … coming over to the weak side, blocking shots, putting pressure on the rim, rebounding,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “The games he doesn’t play, we miss him; it puts an extreme amount of pressure on other guys — there’s not another guy on our team that can do the things Nic does.”
Zach Lowe said a deal for OG would shock the league in terms of its return, comparing it to what the Cavs had to give up to get Spida… yeah no dice chief. Lowe wants to be an insider and seems more like a delusional poster on here, than he does an analyst.
I don’t think the Raptors will trade OG but if they did he’d bring a haul. He can defend all five positions at a level that should earn him all-defensive team honors if not DPOY, He’s having an off season from deep but is a career .368 from three, he can create his own shot, he can play the wing or the 4 and he’s on a team friendly contract for one more season after this one.
He’d fit with any team but especially with the Grizz and Pelicans who both have a good mix of picks and young players to dangle in front of Ujiri. If they got into a bidding war for OG he could bring back a haul near the one the Jazz got for Mitchell.
OG and Siakam to NYC for 6 picks and whoever Masaï wants.
Rather get Zach …….
Mitch has been a D force again. Knicks should move him. Need more offense from the center position. He can help us get a real player. Trade is coming.
Zach over OG?! You’re nuts.
NY needs to be patient for the right deal.
No reason why Cam can’t get into this game! It’s gotta be a personal thing now…with him and Thibs
OG is a talent, no doubt. But nothing more, and that’s equally not in doubt. He’s done little in the league. In part because he doesn’t play more than a 60 or so games a year. Career stats are maybe high end role player. So, if “significant assets” means a couple of protected 1st’s and young players in the salary matching, it’s possible.
Begley is becoming the new Berman. If the Knicks FO were close to major shakeup before the recent streak, then he should have reported it before the recent streak. Instead, in that time period, he used his column to announce (five different ways) that he and his core audience of 2k’ers want Thibs fired. Then he equated that with Thibs actually being on the hot seat. Now, it turns out, the only guy who could put him there (Rose) was actually the one on the hot seat, maybe, or at least someone had earlier wanted Rose’s job, if of course Rose lost his job.