OG Anunoby

Knicks Notes: Anunoby Trade, Murray, Barrett, Quickley

December 31st, 2023 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks will remain active on the trade market after acquiring OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn from Toronto on Saturday, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Having previously named Dejounte Murray as a possible Knicks trade target, Scotto reports that New York is still interested in Murray following this weekend’s deal. However, the team would no longer be able to offer Immanuel Quickley, who might have been a key piece of any outgoing package for the Hawks guard.

Scotto also spoke to multiple NBA executives to get their thoughts on the Anunoby trade for the Knicks. One of those execs questioned whether it might have been overpay, but acknowledged that the team remains well positioned to make another big move and said that justified the decision to part with two talented scorers in Quickley and RJ Barrett. A second exec is curious to see what New York’s front office has up its sleeve for its next move.

“There’s not a lot of shot creation for other players on the roster now, and there’s a lot of pressure on (Jalen) Brunson,” the exec told Scotto. “I get why New York made the trade. The team was playing selfishly. Anunoby is a better fit with what they have than Barrett.”

Here’s more on the Knicks and their latest trade:

The Knicks players who weren’t involved in Saturday’s deal had mixed feelings about the move, as Peter Botte of The New York Post details. “This probably for me is one of the toughest ones just because of the relationship I built with those two,” Julius Randle said, referring to Barrett and Quickley as “little brothers” and suggesting he’ll continue to root for them. Taj Gibson expressed excitement for the addition of Anunoby but said that it “kind of sucked” to say goodbye to the two departing Knicks: “I’ve been around them since they came into the league. Great young men. It’s just tough, one of the tough parts about the business. Being able to see them this morning and talk, it was tough.
Zach Kram of The Ringer, John Hollinger of The Athletic, and Keith Smith of Spotrac took a closer look at the five-player trade from both the Knicks’ and Raptors‘ perspectives, breaking down why it could be a win-win move for the two Atlantic rivals. Smith also explores each team’s financial situation and considers how new deals in 2024 for Anunoby and Quickley will affect their cap outlooks going forward.
Frustration about roles and playing time had been mounting in the Knicks’ locker room, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, which is one key reason why the front office was motivated to make a consolidation trade sooner rather than later. Within Katz’s story, which examines the trade in greater detail, he cites league sources who say the Knicks and Celtics briefly discussed a deal centered around Quickley and Marcus Smart in the offseason before Smart was sent to Memphis. In other words, the team has been mulling swapping Quickley for an elite defender for a while.

Latest On Knicks/Raptors Trade

December 30th, 2023 at 6:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

With the Knicks and Raptors both playing tonight, the two head coaches were able to talk about their new acquisitions in pregame sessions with reporters.

New York’s Tom Thibodeau started by saying he has handled personnel decisions before, so he understands how much work went into today’s trade. He added that it was difficult to part with RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, but OG Anunoby brings too many positives to pass up (video link from Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files).

“I think what OG has done and what he has shown is, one, he has positional size,” Thibodeau said. “Two, he can guard multiple positions. Three, he’s a terrific three-point shooter so he can space the floor. He’s also good in transition, very good finishing. And he’s young, so he still has a lot of development left in his game.”

Thibodeau added that Precious Achiuwa will give the team much-needed size and offensive rebounding, and he called Malachi Flynn “a good young player as well.”

Prior to tonight’s game in Detroit, Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic discussed how adding Barrett will affect the offense, tweets Eric Koreen of The Athletic.

“RJ is a very dynamic player,” Rajakovic said. “He is a very good cutter, good driver, an improved spot-up shooter as well. I’m really excited to see how he’s going to jell with our team.”

There’s more on today’s blockbuster trade:

Raptors president Masai Ujiri was in Detroit with the team and broke the news of the trade to Anunoby, Achiuwa and Flynn, tweets Kayla Gray of TSN Sports. She hears that Barrett and Quickley are expected to travel to Toronto tomorrow and meet with the media on Monday (Twitter link). They’ll likely make their debut in Monday night’s game against Cleveland.
Knicks veteran Taj Gibson talked to both Barrett and Quickley this morning after the deal became public, relays Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link). Gibson said it was “gut-wrenching” to lose the two players, but he told them they’ll have great opportunities in Toronto.
Although Anunoby is a nice addition to the roster, the Knicks don’t believe they’ll be able to obtain a true star player before next summer, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. New York still owns a wealth of draft assets, Katz adds, along with the salaries of Josh Hart, Evan Fournier, Donte DiVincenzo and Quentin Grimes to use in a trade for a max-salary player.

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Flynn, Achiuwa, Thibodeau, Skapintsev

December 30th, 2023 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

When OG Anunoby decided to leave Klutch Sports this past offseason, he had meetings with several agencies and told prospective representatives that he would like a larger offensive role, one that would be commensurate with an annual average salary of $40MM, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Anunoby is earning $18.6MM this season and has the ability to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason, at which point he’ll be in line for a substantial raise.

But the Knicks didn’t acquire the forward without a clear understanding of his contract situation, according to Fischer, who suggests that Anunoby may be more willing to sign a team-friendly deal with New York than he would have with another team. Sources tell Yahoo Sports that agents who met with the 26-year-old in the offseason got the impression he’d be willing to accept less than $40MM per year if he were to end up in New York.

As Fischer observes, it’s also worth noting that Anunoby ultimately ended up signing with CAA, an agency that works closely with the Knicks. One of Anunoby’s representatives is Sam Rose, the son of Knicks president Leon Rose.

Here’s more out of New York:

Posing 10 pressing questions for the Knicks in the wake of the Anunoby deal, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post explores the motivation for the move, considers whether Malachi Flynn or Miles McBride will become the backup point guard, and examines what to expect from Precious Achiuwa, among other topics.
It was apparent that the Knicks’ pre-trade roster had reached its ceiling, says Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post, arguing that the acquisition of Anunoby is exactly the sort of core shakeup the team needed. The deal also sets up the Knicks well for a follow-up trade, Vaccaro adds, given that the front office still has Evan Fournier‘s expiring contracts and all of its first-round picks to work with.
The newly acquired Knicks players won’t be active tonight in Indiana, but should be available for Monday’s game vs. Minnesota, assuming all goes well with their physicals, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau seems likely to hear from the NBA after criticizing the officiating following Friday’s loss to Orlando, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Thibodeau said that he was “sick and tired” of Jalen Brunson getting “hammered” and not earning foul calls. “Like, I watch. I send it in. I see it all. And they’re fouls. It’s plain and simple, they’re fouls and there’s no other way to say it, except they’re fouls. They’re fouls,” Thibodeau said. “No one drives the ball more to the rim than this guy does. And if you rake across his arm, you rake across his arm. And if you hit him in the head, you hit him in the head. Those are fouls. Those are fouls. [I’m] sick and tired of it.”
In a story for The Athletic, Mike Vorkunov takes a closer look at the journey that new Knicks two-way player Dmytro Skapintsev has taken from Ukraine to the G League to the NBA club.

Raptors Trade OG Anunoby To Knicks For Barrett, Quickley

December 30th, 2023 at 2:48pm CST by Tristan Tucker

2:48pm: The trade is official, the Knicks confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).

“We’re ecstatic to welcome OG, Malachi, and Precious to the Knicks family,” Knicks president Leon Rose said in a statement. “OG’s complete offensive game and ability to defend multiple positions will enhance our team on both ends of the court. Malachi and Precious are well-rounded players that will complement the hardworking and talented nature of our group. OG, Malachi, and Precious are perfect additions to the type of team and culture we are building in New York.”

The Raptors also announced the deal in a press release of their own.

“We’re excited about welcoming Immanuel and RJ to our team,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said. “Immanuel is a young, talented playmaker who we believe will provide a spark on both ends of the court. RJ is a versatile wing who is, of course, well-known in his hometown, and seeing him in a Raptors uniform will be a special moment for our fans and for all Canadians.”

11:27am: The Raptors are finalizing a trade that will send OG Anunoby to the Knicks in exchange for a package consisting of RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a 2024 second-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Forward Precious Achiuwa and guard Malachi Flynn are also headed to New York along with Anunoby in the deal, according to Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).

The 2024 pick the Raptors are acquiring originally belonged to the Pistons, Wojnarowski tweets, so it currently projects to be atop the second round.

The deal will see the Knicks land one of the most coveted two-way players in the league in Anunoby, who has been viewed as a prime trade candidate for much of 2023. New York has been pursuing him for “a significant period of time,” according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), having reportedly offered multiple first-rounders for him at last season’s deadline.

The Knicks will now get a head-start on trying to retain Anunoby ahead of his potential 2024 free agency. The 26-year-old has a player option next season worth $19.9MM, which he’s expected to decline to secure a more lucrative contract.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Anunoby will technically be extension-eligible after being acquired by the Knicks, but for the next six months, he’ll only be permitted to sign for up to two years and $40MM. On June 30, those limits will increase to four years and $117MM.

In all likelihood, whether or not he intends to re-sign with the Knicks, the seventh-year forward will opt to become a free agent, since his elite three-and-D skill set should put him in line for an even more substantial payday than he could get on an extension. Anunoby was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive team last season and has averaged 16.4 points per game with a .381 3PT% since the start of the 2020/21 season.

Moving Barrett and Quickley should help clear up a logjam and clarify the rotation in New York’s backcourt, with wings like Donte DiVincenzo and Quentin Grimes primed to take on larger roles alongside star point guard Jalen Brunson. Flynn likely won’t play regular minutes for his new team, but he’ll provide some depth at guard, while Achiuwa will give the Knicks another option up front with Mitchell Robinson out for the season.

Toronto, meanwhile, won’t get a first-round pick back for Anunoby but will instead bring in Quickley, who finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting last year, and Barrett, a Canadian and former No. 3 overall pick. Quickley will be a restricted free agent in 2024, while Barrett is under contract through 2026/27.

Barrett loved New York and enjoyed playing for the Knicks, but if he was going to be dealt, he viewed his hometown of Toronto as a great option, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). The 23-year-old played for the Canadian national team in the FIBA World Cup this past summer.

Both Barrett and Quickley had seen their playing time with the Knicks dip a little in the first half of this season. Barrett averaged 18.2 points per game on .423/.331/.831 shooting in 26 starts (29.5 MPG), while Quickley posted a career-best 15.0 PPG on .454/.395/.872 shooting in 30 appearances off the bench (24.0 MPG).

The lack of first-round draft capital heading to Toronto indicates the Raptors are content with retooling, rather than outright rebuilding — that aligns with a report earlier this week, which indicated that the organization has “no appetite for a reset, teardown, or rebuild.”

It remains to be seen what Toronto does with Pascal Siakam, whose name has also come up in trade rumors in recent weeks and who is also a candidate for an extension. Depending on their plans for Siakam, the Raptors could generate a significant chunk of cap room in the 2024 offseason while still being able to re-sign Quickley, notes Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (via Twitter).

In the shorter term, the move will open up a spot on Toronto’s roster and will keep team salary slightly below the luxury tax due to the inclusions of Achiuwa and Flynn, both of whom will be restricted free agents in 2024.

The Knicks will have to waive someone to complete the deal. According to Charania (via Twitter), that roster casualty will be DaQuan Jeffries, who was on a non-guaranteed contract and had seen limited action in just 10 games for the team this season.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the two Atlantic rivals came together to make this deal despite being engaged in a bitter legal feud off the court.

The Knicks filed a lawsuit against the Raptors in August, alleging that former employee Ikechukwu Azotam illegally took confidential files with him when he was hired by Toronto. The two teams have gone back and forth in court filings in the months since then, but it seems their front offices had no problem working with one another.

Luke Adams contributed to this story.

Raptors/Knicks Trade Notes: Draft Pick, Cap Details, More

December 30th, 2023 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Raptors won’t acquire a first-round pick in their deal sending OG Anunoby to the Knicks, the one draft pick Toronto is getting is essentially equivalent to a late first, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The 2024 second-rounder initially belonged to the Pistons, which means it projects to be the No. 31 overall selection in June.

In Marks’ view, that pick actually has more value than the protected first-rounders the Knicks are owed from Detroit and Washington. The Pistons first-rounder will be protected through 2027 and would become a single ’27 second-rounder if it’s not conveyed by then, while Washington’s first-rounder is protected through 2026 and would turn into a pair of second-rounders (2026 and 2027) after that.

The protections on the Pistons pick will eventually become top-nine in 2027, while Washington’s will become top-eight in 2026, so those first-rounders still have a chance to convey. But neither Detroit nor Washington appears on the verge of becoming a playoff contender, so from the Raptors’ perspective, there’s certainly some value in getting a pick guaranteed to be in the early 30s in the short term rather than asking for one of those conditional first-rounders.

Here are a few more notes on the deal that will send Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn to New York and Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett to Toronto:

Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) says his understanding is that the Raptors and Knicks have been working on a potential Anunoby trade since they played one another on December 11. The two teams discussed a couple different iterations and the Raptors canvassed the league at this month’s G League Showcase in Orlando before circling back to the Knicks to finalize an agreement, Grange explains.
When he discussed a possible extension with the Knicks prior to the season, Quickley was believed to be looking for a deal similar to the one Devin Vassell got from San Antonio (five years, $135MM, plus $11MM in incentives), tweets Grange. Given that Quickley is a crucial piece in the return for Anunoby, the Raptors are presumably prepared to re-sign him as a restricted free agent next summer and have a sense of what the price will be.
Conversely, Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link) says the Knicks had concerns about re-signing Quickley at a price they felt comfortable with. Begley adds that he doesn’t think New York is done dealing, given that the team still has plenty of excess first-round draft capital to offer up in trade talks.
Barrett, whom the Raptors were eyeing dating back to before the 2019 draft, will become the eighth Canadian to play for the franchise, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links). The first seven were Jamaal Magloire, Cory Joseph, Anthony Bennett, Oshae Brissett, Khem Birch, Dalano Banton, and Chris Boucher.
Following the trade, the Knicks will be $5.1MM below the luxury tax line and $9.9MM under their hard cap, while the Raptors will be $1.95MM below the tax and $4.85MM under the hard cap, tweets Marks.
As a result of the trade, New York will generate a trade exception worth the difference between Barrett’s and Anunoby’s salaries ($5,241,072) and Toronto will create one worth Achiuwa’s salary ($4,379,527).
The timing of Toronto’s trade agreement could benefit the Pistons, who are looking to avoid becoming the first team in NBA history to lose 29 consecutive games. As James L. Edwards of The Athletic tweets, the Raptors will be without Anunoby on Saturday when they visit Detroit on the second night of a back-to-back set.

Raptors Rumors: Siakam, Barnes, Anunoby, Trent, Schröder

December 29th, 2023 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Raptors and Pascal Siakam haven’t generated any real traction on a contract extension for the star forward, there have been “framework-type conversations” between the two sides since early in the season, sources tell Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

Grange suggests that December 30 had been viewed as a key date in the extension talks, since reaching a long-term deal by Saturday would make Siakam trade-eligible again at the start of free agency in July. Conversely, a trade by Dec. 30 would put Siakam’s new team in position to sign him to an extension prior to free agency.

However, Grange doesn’t get the sense that there’s any momentum toward a decision on Siakam coming within the next day or two. If the Raptors don’t extend Siakam by Saturday and then want to move him by the trade deadline, his new team would have to be pretty confident in its ability to re-sign him as a free agent, since an extension of more than two years (or featuring a raise greater than 5%) would be prohibited for six months after a trade.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Toronto has “no appetite for a reset, teardown, or rebuild,” according to Grange, who says the franchise’s primary goal is figuring out how to put a successful roster together around Scottie Barnes. In a perfect world, Grange continues, Siakam and OG Anunoby would remain part of the core. But that would require the team finding “better and more complementary pieces” to complement the trio of Barnes, Siakam, and Anunoby.
Gary Trent Jr. is eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2024, but he hasn’t been a part of any of the team’s contract extension talks so far, sources tell Grange.
Doug Smith of The Toronto Star believes trades of some sort are inevitable for the Raptors, given their current roster. He explores some possibilities and considers whether the team might make Dennis Schröder available if Barnes shows he can handle point guard duties in the new-look starting lineup.
Head coach Darko Rajakovic stressed that Barnes isn’t suddenly Toronto’s full-time point guard with Schröder coming off the bench, but he does expect the former Rookie of the Year’s ball-handling responsibilities to increase, as Eric Koreen of The Athletic details. “I think the main reason for doing this is to speed up his development,” Rajakovic said. “When a player is really on the ball a lot, he is just forced to make all of those decisions: how to handle the pressure and how to handle different pick-and-roll coverages, how to set up his teammates. I believe that he has those talents in him.”

Woj: Zach LaVine Trade Market Is “Still Barren”

December 27th, 2023 at 9:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The trade market for Bulls guard Zach LaVine is “still barren,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski writes on Threads in a question-and-answer session with fans.

LaVine’s right foot injury is complicating Chicago’s efforts to find a taker for LaVine, Wojnarowski adds. He hasn’t played since November 28, and the team announced in early December that he would be sidelined for another three to four weeks while receiving treatment for inflammation in the foot. He has reached the three-week mark and recently began working on “light cutting” in hopes of working his way back onto the court.

The Bulls have been trying for weeks to work out a LaVine deal as the first step in what was expected to be a larger roster shakeup. However, the team has played much better without him, winning nine of its last 13 games to climb into 10th place in the East.

LaVine remains a dangerous offensive player, even though his current scoring average of 21.0 PPG and his shooting percentages of 44.3% from the floor and 33.6% from three-point range are all down from recent years. Questions about LaVine’s defense and durability are affecting his trade value, along with a hefty contract that will pay him nearly $138MM over the next three seasons if he picks up his player option for 2026/27.

Also on Threads, Wojnarowski states that Toronto “just isn’t there” on decisions to part with Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. The Raptors‘ forwards are both headed toward free agency next summer, but it appears team president Masai Ujiri will wait until closer to the February 8 deadline before determining whether to make them available.

Wojnarowski describes trade talks around the league so far as “lots of buyers, few sellers.” He says the play-in tournament affects that balance, with more teams seeing a potential path to the playoffs. A draft class that’s projected to be weaker than normal also comes into play, with teams less motivated to chase a high pick without a potential franchise changer like Victor Wembanyama available.

Wojnarowski expects the trade market to eventually heat up, but he predicts “the asking price is going to be high from the really bad teams to move off assets.”

Pistons Notes: Cunningham, FA Targets, Losing Streak, Fixes

December 27th, 2023 at 4:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Clearly, not many things have been going well for the Pistons, who just broke the single-season NBA record on Tuesday with their 27th consecutive loss. If they lose again on Thursday in Boston, they’ll tie the all-time losing streak across multiple seasons, set by the Sixers in 2014/15 and ’15/16.

Despite their struggles, former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham has been a bright spot for the Pistons of late, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. After an up-and-down first 19 games, Cunningham is averaging 24.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.3 steals on .500/.309/.847 shooting in 11 games this month, including two 40-point outbursts over his past four contests. He has also significantly cut down on his turnovers, going from a league-high 4.9 per game over his first 19 games to 2.9 per night this month.

As Sankofa writes, Cunningham did everything in his power to keep Detroit in the game on Tuesday, shooting 13-of-16 from the field (81.3%) and scoring 37 points in the second half, including the team’s final 12. The rest of the Pistons were a combined 7-of-26 (26.9%) in the second half, Sankofa notes.

“Everyday, I try to lead the squad,” Cunningham said. “I haven’t been successful with that. Two-and-28. I just felt like it’s only right that I come up and can speak for it, be the face for it. That locker room and everybody in there cares a lot. Everybody’s trying to do everything they can to win games and be successful. I put a lot of that weight on myself, for sure.”

Here’s more from Detroit:

On FanDuel TV’s Run It Back show (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of The Athletic said the Pistons are likely to target a power forward in free agency in 2024, with Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Tobias Harris and Miles Bridges among the names worth monitoring.
The Pistons have won three championships and have made the NBA Finals five times. But over the past 15 years, they’ve been “meh-to-bad,” with the current group on pace to be the worst team ever, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, who takes an in-depth look at the sequence of events that has led Detroit to its historic ineptitude.
While there are no “quick fixes” for a team that’s 2-28, Keith Smith of Spotrac describes how he would go about changing the direction of the franchise, including trading away veterans for draft assets.

Scotto’s Latest: Raptors, Pacers, Hawks, Markkanen, Hornets, More

December 22nd, 2023 at 6:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Rival executives believe Pascal Siakam is more likely to be traded than OG Anunoby if the Raptors decide to shake up their roster, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. In fact, teams looking for help on the wing think Toronto “will do whatever it takes” to retain Anunoby as a free agent in 2024 — he’s widely expected to decline his $19.9MM player option for next season.

Scotto reports that top front office executives from the Pacers and Hawks had extensive conversations with Toronto’s brass at the NBA G League’s Winter Showcase in Orlando this week. Both teams have consistently been linked to the Raptors for several months, Scotto notes.

If the Raptors trade Siakam, they’d be looking for young players and draft capital in return, according to Scotto, with the goal of retooling around Scottie Barnes and Anunoby.

To that end, Pacers forward Jarace Walker, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 draft, could be a name to watch in trade talks. He hasn’t played much as a rookie this season, but he’s had some strong performances in the G League. Scotto also hears the Hawks would prefer to keep Jalen Johnson, who was having a breakout third season before sustaining a fractured wrist (he was recently cleared to resume practicing in full).

Here are more rumors and notes from Scotto:

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has been the subject of some trade speculation this season, but Scotto is the latest reporter to reiterate that the Finnish star is expected to stay put. According to Scotto, there are three reasons for that: Markkanen wants to remain with the Jazz, the cost of acquiring him could be exorbitant, and he could renegotiate and extend his contract in the offseason, which would bypass 2025 free agency. Multiple executives told Scotto the idea of a possible Markkanen trade was “wishful thinking.”
There’s a “strong belief” among rival executives that the Hornets will make front office changes “by next season at the latest,” Scotto writes. If president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak is fired or moved to a different role, Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson and Wizards senior VP of player personnel Travis Schlenk are potential candidates to replace him, league sources tell Scotto. As Scotto writes, both Peterson and Schlenk previously worked with new Charlotte co-owner Rick Schnall in Atlanta.
Kings guard Keon Ellis and Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. are among the top candidates to be promoted to standard deals from their current two-way contracts, per Scotto. Cleveland has an open roster spot and wouldn’t necessarily need to release anyone to give Porter a raise (and make him playoff-eligible), while Sacramento has Juan Toscano-Anderson on a non-guaranteed deal.

Knicks Rumors: Murray, Anunoby, Barrett, Quickley, Fournier

December 22nd, 2023 at 5:31pm CST by Rory Maher

While one recent report indicated the Knicks haven’t been very active in trade conversions thus far this season, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype hears from sources who say New York is among a group of teams that have shown “exploratory interest” in Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.

As Scotto writes, Murray can’t be traded until January 9, which is six months after the one-time All-Star signed a four-year, $111MM+ extension over the summer. But with the Hawks off to a slow start (they’re 12-15, the No. 10 seed in the East), Scotto suggests they’d be willing to listen to offers on several players on their roster, including De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela, who have both popped up in trade rumors in the past year.

In June 2022, before Murray was traded to Atlanta from San Antonio, multiple reporters said the Knicks were interested in his services — it’s not surprising that they’re rumored to be checking in on his availability again. Through 27 games this season, the 27-year-old is averaging 20.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.4 APG and 1.5 SPG in 34.3 MPG.

Here are a few more Knicks rumors from Scotto:

New York is still interested in Raptors forward OG Anunoby, Scotto reports. When the two teams discussed Anunoby last season, RJ Barrett came up in the talks, but “nothing substantive materialized.” According to Scotto, the Knicks would likely have to give up a significant haul of assets to land Anunoby, who can become a free agent in 2024 if he declines his player option for ’24/25.
The Knicks and Immanuel Quickley did not agree to terms on a rookie scale extension before the ’23/24 season began, and Scotto previously reported that there was a pretty significant gap in what the young guard was seeking on his next deal and what New York was willing to offer. That gap — plus the team’s belief that he would eventually like to start — has made the Knicks willing to consider trading Quickley if the right opportunity arises, according to Scotto.
Unsurprisingly, Scotto hears the Knicks have also been attempting to trade Evan Fournier and his expiring contract, but they obviously haven’t found any takers yet — otherwise he wouldn’t still be on the roster.

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