Getty William Wesley, New York Knicks
It took a while but recently traded Immanuel Quickley finally put into words his heartfelt thanks to the New York Knicks and its fan base.
In a revealing letter Quickley wrote for The Players’ Tribune, he recalled the emotional roller-coaster on the day of the trade.
“Obviously this is a business, but when you literally have no idea this is coming…. I mean, there were no rumors, no nothing. Just woke up from a nap on a road trip, in a random hotel room in Indiana, to a text from my agent Raymond Brothers saying, “Call me. You’re getting traded.” Direct, quick, no warning. You get a text like that, and your heart just sinks. It didn’t even feel real. It was like I was in a dream or something. Before I can even hit him back, my phone starts ringing. It’s the Knicks front office. But it wasn’t just anybody. It was one of my guys, World Wide Wes. I call him Unc. I picked up, and man…… as soon as he got on the call, he just started crying. And just like that, my career with the New York Knicks was over. I knew it was forreal,” Quickley wrote.
It was Wesley who pushed the Knicks to trade for Quickley in the 2020 NBA Draft. So, it was only right that he should be the one to break the news to the player he truly valued.
But Quickley understood the business side of it.
“The Knicks got what they wanted, and it helped me to be in a position to show what I can do on a night-to-night basis, which I’m really looking forward to,” Quickley wrote.
Immanuel Quickley Flourishes in Toronto
Quickley finally got his chance to start and run his own team, an opportunity he will never have with Jalen Brunson in front of him in the Knicks rotation.
Through his first six games with the Raptors, Quickley averaged career highs across the board: 19.2 points, 6.2 assists (against only 1.0 turnovers) and 4.7 rebounds in 31.2 minutes while shooting a red-hot 46.2% on 6.2 3-point attempts.
“Actually, I’m not just looking forward to it — I’m excited about it. The more I get my bearings, the more I can feel myself starting to get comfortable here,” Quickley wrote.
The Raptors are 3-3 since acquiring Quickley, along with RJ Barrett and a second-round pick for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn.
Quickley thanked everyone but made special mention of assistant coach Johnnie Bryant and Julius Randle, the two members of the Knicks closest to him.
And lastly the Knicks fans.
“I want to thank the fans for staying with us, for staying with me. I wish I could hug all of you guys. Every night you go out there on the court, you’re playing for the team above all else. But the way you guys embraced me gave me something to play for that was bigger than myself, bigger than the team. Every night, deep down I was playing for you,” he wrote.
Knicks Remain Unbeaten Since Trade
The Knicks have not lost a game since they pulled off the trade. They transformed into a dominant team overnight with Anunoby.
He became the first and only NBA player in history to post a cumulative plus-minus above 100 in his first five games with a franchise, according to stats guru and Substacker Tommy Beer.
Since the trade, the Knicks have the best defensive (100.2) and net rating (19.8), per NBA advanced stats.