- Barrett is from Toronto and was just traded back to his hometown team
- Anunoby provides an option at small forward that the Knicks didn't have before
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In a massive deal, the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors put aside their legal issues to make a blockbuster transfer.
According to multiple reports, the Raptors are sending forwards OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa and guard Malachi Flynn to the Knicks in exchange for guards RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick.
It's a move that will likely be painful for both sets of fans – as both Anunoby and Barrett became favorites in their hometowns.
Barrett re-signed with the Knicks in September 2022, becoming the first Knicks player since Charlie Ward in 1999 to agree to a multi-year extension after a rookie contract.
But now he's returning to his hometown of Toronto to play for the Raptors – who needed consistency at the position with two guards.
In a stunning Saturday trade, the New York Knicks acquire OG Anunoby from Toronto
In return, Toronto native RJ Barrett is returning to his hometown to play for the Raptors
Barrett was the Knicks' third-leading scorer, averaging 18.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
The loss of Immanuel Quickley will also significantly hurt the team, as he was the Knicks' fourth-leading scorer, averaging 15 points per game and 24 minutes per night. He is one of the top candidates for the league's Sixth Man of the Year award.
Barrett and Quickley played the same position and their roles will likely be filled by Josh Hart and Quentin Grimes.
Meanwhile, Anunoby gives the Knicks a true small forward – something they've been missing from their current roster.
London-born Anunoby averaged 15.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in Toronto.
As for the other two pieces returning to the Knicks, Achiuwa will go from battling for minutes with Pascal Siakam to battling for minutes with Julius Randle.
He averaged 7.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 25 games and 17.5 minutes per night.
Flynn is now a good bench option, averaging 5.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
They also swapped out Immanuel Quickley (L) and Precious Achiuwa as well as a few other parts
In summary, this move meets the needs of both teams. The Raptors now have a player who can grab the minutes that the struggling Gary Trent Jr. took up at the shooting guard position, and both Barrett and Quickley are consistent scorers.
For the Knicks, the addition of Anunoby gives the team a small forward option that they didn't have before.
In addition, the Knicks have someone in Achiuwa who can fill the role that the now injured Mitchell Robinson had in the meantime.
The trading partners themselves are interesting, as the two teams are currently in a legal dispute.
The Knicks sued the Raptors for $10 million in damages, saying Toronto stole confidential information.
The Raptors' head of video held a similar position with the Knicks and the team claims he stole “game frequency reports, a 2022-23 season prep book, video scouting files and materials and more” before he left in the moved to Toronto last offseason.