Knicks ‘Remain Interested’ in Raptors’ All-Defensive Wing: Report

Getty RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks goes to the basket against Scottie Barnes #4 and OG Anunoby #3 of the Toronto Raptors.

The New York Knicks remain stuck in the middle after another jarring 130-111 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on December 23.

They are now 0-6 against the Bucks and the Boston Celtics, two of the elite teams in the East.

Becky Hammon was right.

The Knicks need that “dude” to hang around with the elite teams. But in the absence of that “dude” in the trade market, the Knicks are looking to shore up their defense with an impactful move for Toronto Raptors’ All-Defensive wing OG Anunoby that will give them length and shooting in their starting lineup weakened by the ill-timed Mitchell Robinson’s injury.

Their interest in Anunoby, dating back to last year’s February trade deadline, remains, according to Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto.

“The Knicks also remain interested in trading for Raptors forward OG Anunoby, league sources told HoopsHype. Last season, Knicks forward RJ Barrett came up in those brief trade inquiries, but nothing substantive materialized. That’s likely to remain the case again unless New York blows Toronto away with sufficient first-round draft pick compensation and maybe another young asset,” Scotto wrote.

While the Raptors and the Knicks are involved in a messy legal dispute, a ray of hope that something could be done emanates from Anunoby’s move from Klutch Sports to Creative Artists Agency, which Knicks president Leon Rose used to head. Rose’s ties with Anunoby’s agency remain strong.

Bill Simmons Bats for RJ Barrett-OG Anunoby Swap

Bill Simmons of The Ringer wants to see an RJ Barrett-OG Anunoby swap first before the Knicks revive their interest in Donovan Mitchell.

“If you’re Toronto, why wouldn’t you just flip in OG for Barrett, grab one of those [Knicks] protected picks and just call it a day,” Simmons said on the December 19 episode of “The Bill Simmons” podcast. “I actually like Barrett.”

Simmons wondered if the Knicks were the perfect team for Barrett to realize his potential as the No. 3 pick of the 2019 NBA Draft.

“But when I look at a team like Toronto, I actually think he’d fit better plus, he’s Canadian,” Simmons said of Barrett.

The Raptors are risking losing Anunoby to free agency. Anunoby will likely decline his $19.9 million player option next season to test free agency. On the other hand, Barrett’s $107 million, four-year extension that could reach up to $120 million will kick in next season.

“To me, that’s a trade that made the salaries match up and if I were the Knicks, I would rather do that and see what it looks like before I make the Mitchell trade.”

Perfect Knicks’ 3-and-D

Fresh from his All-NBA Second Defensive Team selection, Anunoby will not only give the Knicks a more solid perimeter defense. He is also a more consistent 3-point shooter than Barrett. A career 37.5% 3-point shooter, Anunoby has never shot below 36% from deep since 2018-19, the season before Barrett entered the league.

Barrett’s defense has regressed over time and his outside shot remains suspect. He is only knocking down 34.5% of his 3s this season as he cooled off after a hot start. Barrett has not shot above 35% from downtown since his career-high 40.1% during his sophomore year, which proves to be an outlier.

Swapping Barrett for Anunoby will also avoid the Knicks’ potential problem of too many mouths to feed and could potentially help them retain Sixth Man Immanuel Quickley in the offseason.