The benefits of New York's signing of OG Anunoby were evident in the opening minutes of the Knicks' 112-106 win over Minnesota on Monday. He has long been praised for his rare ability to actually guard all five positions at 6-foot-3. “One of the most effective and versatile defenders in the league,” said Wolves head coach Chris Finch, who worked with Anunoby as an assistant in Toronto. “I saw him guarding Damian Lillard one night, Joel Embiid the next.” In fact, Anunoby began this New Year's duel with the cross from Anthony Edwards before blocking a lob attempt to Rudy Gobert and then giving possession away to Karl-Anthony Towns disturbed.
Despite its length, Anunoby kept it characteristically short during his introductory pregame press conference. He said he was thrilled when he got a call from Raptors president Masai Ujiri last Saturday to learn New York had traded for him, but he said nothing else about long-term interest in his new franchise. Anunoby is expected to decline his $19.9 million player option for 2024-25 to reach unrestricted free agency, and he told reporters that further contract negotiations would be left to his representative, CAA, the Because of the agency's deep ties throughout Madison Square Garden, it has left much expectation among NBA employees that Anunoby will reach an agreement well beyond the four-year, $118 million extension. Anunoby limited himself to signing but would not have accepted it with the Raptors, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
New York certainly plans to continue looking for improvements for rising All-Star candidate Jalen Brunson, who finished sixth in the Eastern Conference backcourt voting on Thursday and has a good chance of securing a reserve selection from coaches. Sacrificing Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett to get Anunoby weakened New York's proven play behind Brunson, leaving the Knicks as potential buyers for backup ballplayers with four weeks until the trade deadline. Sources said New York leaned on veteran big men after losing Mitchell Robinson to an ankle injury, but the addition of Precious Achiuwa alongside Anunoby prepares rival executives for the Knicks to explore options in the backcourt with Miles McBride extended receives playing minutes.
OG Anunoby got off to a good start with the Knicks, and his acquisition by New York changed the calculus on how teams might approach the trade deadline. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
With Evan Fournier's contract, they have enough draft capital and cap room to try out a wide range of names, from former Tom Thibodeau favorite Alec Burks in Detroit to rugged Malcolm Brogdon in Portland. The best point guard on the market before the Feb. 8 trade deadline could be Atlanta's Dejounte Murray, a former All-Star who the Hawks made widely available two years after trading three first-round picks to acquire Murray, according to league sources from San Antonio.
The question naturally arises as to whether Murray's fit alongside another ball-dominant player like Brunson would be ideal, as Murray's pairing with Hawks All-Star Trae Young hasn't yielded the dividends Atlanta once envisioned. Still, Murray's four-year, $114 million contract extension that begins in 2024-25 makes him an interesting target for any team with backcourt questions. We'll see how preemptive front offices take this winter before harsher tax penalties take effect next season under the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement. Future picks and value contracts like Murray's could become bigger trade assets than league personnel expected.
The Hawks are definitely open for business with many long-term contracts to be completed. Lately, Atlanta has told numerous teams that the only untouchable players on the Hawks' roster are Young and rising third-year forward Jalen Johnson, sources said. Just look at the way Johnson dribbles and slides behind the back in transition against Oklahoma City on Wednesday, or the way he paces, passes and shoots at his size, and you'll understand why the Hawks' numbers for the 22nd's performance -year-olds are so optimistic about a wide and bouncy 6-9.
Atlanta owes its 2025 first-round selection to San Antonio as part of the haul that Murray reaped. So it makes perfect sense for the Hawks, currently 14-19, to consider trading some of their veteran contributors and bring in a lottery pick alongside Young and Johnson, then moving closer to Atlanta's larger goal of moving into the next season under head coach Quin Snyder to compete in the playoffs. According to sources, Atlanta has been one of the most active teams in the entire league on the phone. And the fact that this seller's route is becoming more and more likely means league personnel are no longer viewing the Hawks as a prominent potential landing spot for Toronto's other trade deadline darling, Pascal Siakam, now that the Raptors have finally moved on from Anunoby .
According to sources, Atlanta was once considered the most aggressive suitor for Siakam's services and had serious discussions with Toronto last offseason. But talk among NBA executives about Siakam's potential landing spots is now focused on Indiana, Sacramento and Detroit. Yes, the Pistons are consistently signaling opposing executives an interest in buying, sources say, rather than trading away veterans from the league's weakest team. Other teams mentioned, such as Dallas and Philadelphia, do not appear to be viable targets at this point, although Toronto officials, when asked by front offices, have indicated that as many as 10 teams have legitimate interest in Siakam, sources said.
As the Raptors' return for Anunoby shows, and as Toronto has turned down offers from multiple first-rounders for Anunoby in previous transaction cycles, the Raptors are prioritizing young, established players with potential to slot alongside Scottie Barnes as opposed to an abundance of draft capital, sources said. Toronto continues to emphasize rebuilding itself into a competitive club rather than embarking on any type of rebuild.
Compared to Quickley and Barrett, Philadelphia isn't drafting anyone who meets those requirements to sign Siakam. Dallas has long rebuffed requests for Josh Green, sources said, despite just finalizing a three-year, $41 million extension that begins in 2024-25.
The Kings have called opposing front offices to gauge the value of the combination of Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Not exactly the youthful tandem that returned from New York, and Sacramento won't consider moving second-year sharpshooter Keegan Murray, sources said. But in Sacramento, third-year guard Davion Mitchell is available for trade, and the Kings have future picks beyond this year's first-rounder owed to Atlanta to help close a deal before next month's deadline make possible. It should be noted that Huerter was recently moved to Mike Brown's bench in exchange for Chris Duarte.
There's a chance Sacramento ends up making the best real offer for Siakam. With just half a season before the 29-year-old All-Star talent can reach unrestricted free agency, Siakam has shot 41.6% from distance in his last 15 games, a crucial factor in his performance for any team investing money in the future invested him. With his falling shot, he is considered an All-NBA talent capable of fitting into multiple lineups. But as the time approaches for Siakam to hit the open market, any interested team must understand that he is willing to re-sign this summer. Additionally, several clubs that are expected to have significant roster space, such as Detroit and Indiana, could simply opt to test their fate and bring in Siakam in free agency rather than send a rookie player north of the border. This will be a difficult dance for Toronto or risk losing another franchise star for nothing, as was the case with Fred VanVleet last July.
If the Pacers walk away with Siakam, it will come after Indiana narrowly failed to sign Anunoby, sources said. Indiana made a strong effort to bring the Hoosiers product to Gainbridge Fieldhouse until the end of talks between Toronto and New York, although it's unclear what sticking points prevented the Pacers and Raptors from getting over the finish line. Even though Indiana selected versatile forward Jarace Walker in the lottery last June, the Pacers continue to consider upgrades at fourth, as they have for several seasons, according to sources.
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Perhaps Kyle Kuzma could be an answer, even if he wouldn't bring the defensive reinforcements that Indiana appears to have prioritized. The Wizards have told rival teams they are open to trading veterans in search of future draft assets to help rebuild Washington, sources said. Early impressions indicate that the Wizards are hoping to obtain multiple first-round picks for Kuzma, with the goal of obtaining maximum draft capital for other players on their roster as well.
The market for Bulls All-Star guard Zach LaVine is still quiet as interested teams remain hesitant to accept the four seasons and roughly $180 million remaining on his contract. LaVine is leaning toward returning Friday after a week-long absence due to right foot inflammation. Perhaps a strong return to play with the defensive performance he once showed for Team USA that captivated NBA evaluators could provide some momentum for a LaVine deal. The struggling Lakers are considered the most sensible landing spot for the 28-year-old former All-Star, according to sources, although Los Angeles has indicated a reluctance to accept LaVine's money.
In Boston, rival officials are preparing for the Celtics to explore bench upgrades and reinforcements behind arguably the best “top six” in the league. Boston is expected to retain reserve center Luke Kornet, who has many fans on the Celtics staff, beyond his upcoming guaranteed date of Jan. 10, sources said. The Celtics' other non-guaranteed veteran players all have a chance of remaining in Boston for the foreseeable future as well, if only as valuable roster space and tradeable salary for the Celtics, in addition to a $6.25 million trade exception.