OG Anunoby showed his value for the New York Knicks when he was on the court. He was acquired in late December along with Precious Achiuwa in a deal that sent RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Toronto Raptors. Turning 27 on July 17, Anunoby quickly became the Knicks’ main defensive stopper as well as an elite three-point shooter from the corner. As has been the case for much of his career though, Anunoby missed time with injuries. He was just one of several Knicks players that missed time during the postseason.
The 6-7 forward has a player option for next season that is slightly less than $20 million. It is widely assumed that he will decline it to become an unrestricted free agent. Many expect there to not be much drama for Anunoby’s free agency and that he will remain with New York.
OG Anunoby Expected To Return To Knicks, Could Get $35 Million Annually https://t.co/xX48hN4tw9
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) June 17, 2024
What Could OG Anunoby Receive On His Next Contract?
What Are Others Predicting OG Anunoby’s Next Contract Will Be?
On Monday, ESPN’s Bobby Marks posted an article on what he would offer some of the top free agents this offseason. For Anunoby, he suggests a four-year deal worth $145 million. Due to his injury history, Marks does not all have four years being guaranteed. He mentions that he would have the first three years of Anunoby’s deal guaranteed. The fourth year at $40.1 million would become fully guaranteed if Anunoby were to play 65 or more games in any of the first three seasons.
John Hollinger of The Athletic wrote an article on free agents that may sign quickly, and that includes Anunoby. Hollinger says that while Anunoby won’t receive the max, he expects a four-year deal worth between $140-150 million.
High-Risk, High-Reward When Signing Anunoby
Anunoby’s impact on the court with the Knicks can’t be overstated. The team went 26-5 with him playing in the regular season and playoffs (not including Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers where he barely played).
It can be seen as risky though due to the amount of time he has missed. After joining the Knicks, he missed 18 straight games from late January to early March with an elbow injury. After returning for three games, the injury was reaggravated, and he missed the next nine contests. In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Anunoby sustained a hamstring injury. He did not dress for Games 3-6. He valiantly suited up for Game 7, but he was clearly compromised and played just five minutes. While technically not an injury, Anunoby missed the Raptors’ entire 2019 postseason after needing an emergency appendectomy. Led by Kawhi Leonard, Toronto was able to win the franchise’s first championship that year.
With the Raptors in 2022-23, Anunoby led the league in steals per game and made the All-Defensive Second Team. In 23 regular season games with New York in 2023-24, he posted per-game averages of 14.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks. He shot 48.8% from the field, 39.4% from three-point territory, and 79.1% from the free throw line.
