SECURED: The Toronto Raptors have recently announced the addition of another two NBA monsters to their roster to solidify their team walls, from….
AP/NEW YORK OG Anunoby will return to the New York Knicks in exchange for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, according to a source with knowledge of the trade that was made on Saturday.
The source, who spoke to The Associated Press under anonymity because the deal is not yet official, said that the Knicks will also acquire Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn.
Two of the Knicks’ best offensive players—Quickley, an NBA reserve, and Barrett, a starting forward—are being forfeited. As Anunoby led the league in steals the previous season, the acquisition should give their defense a much-needed boost.
The Knicks and the Raptors reached a deal four months after the former team hired a former Knicks scout, and the Knicks claimed in their lawsuit that the Raptors had plotted to steal thousands of videos and other scouting secrets.
Barrett was sent to his hometown as part of the deal, so both teams had fewer players for their games on Saturday night. The Knicks were in Indiana, and the Raptors were in Detroit, where the Pistons were attempting to avert an NBA record 29th straight loss.
Anunoby is expected to take over Barrett’s starting position for the Knicks. With an average of 15.1 points, the 6-foot-7 swingman had his highest-scoring performance of the year on December 11, when the Raptors went to the Knicks, scoring 29 points.
Barrett, who scores 18.2 points a game on average, has recently had trouble with his outside shot, going just 2 for 12 from three-point range in the last two games. The Knicks missed the playoffs the previous seven seasons, but the No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft helped them make it to the postseason twice in the last three.
Quickley finished second in the competition for Sixth Man of the Year the previous season, but since the Knicks refused to offer him a contract extension prior to this one, there has been talk that he might be traded. They will need to find a substitute for his 15 points per game in the paint and versatility as a guard.
