OG Anunoby, a free agent forward, plans to ink a five-year contract worth $212.5 million to stay with the Knicks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The agreement, which will include a fifth-year player option and a trade kicker, is set to become official after the moratorium period ends on July 6. Steve Popper of Newsday notes it will mark the largest deal in Knicks history.
This move comes shortly after the Knicks’ acquisition of Mikal Bridges from the Nets in exchange for a package featuring five future first-round picks and a pick swap, finalized on Tuesday night. With both Bridges and Anunoby onboard, New York will enter the 2024/25 season bolstered by two of the NBA’s premier wing players known for their defensive prowess and three-point shooting.
Anunoby was acquired by the Knicks from the Raptors in December, a trade involving Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. Despite being sidelined for weeks due to an elbow injury, Anunoby made an immediate impact, helping the Knicks to a stellar record in his initial games. His presence on the court significantly boosted the team’s performance, evident from their impressive net ratings and top-tier offensive and defensive statistics.
In the 2023 season across 50 games for both New York and Toronto, Anunoby averaged 14.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, shooting .489 from the field, .382 from beyond the arc, and .753 from the free-throw line. He earned a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team in 2023 and continues to be a key player in the Knicks’ strategic plans moving forward.
Although OG Anunoby’s new contract with the Knicks falls short of the maximum-salary deal he could have received, projected at over $245 million, it still represents a substantial commitment. According to Wojnarowski, the contract averages $42.5 million per season, slightly above the projected maximum starting salary of $42.3 million. This five-year agreement, totaling $212.5 million, also surpasses the maximum offer any other team could have made to the 26-year-old, which would have been capped at $182 million over four years.
