Should the Nets consider going after Knicks’ OG Anunoby?
The Brooklyn Nets have plenty of avenues to consider this offseason as they look to improve the team enough to hopefully make it back to the playoffs next season. As Brooklyn looks to get better through free-agency, there could be a player that becomes available if he declines his impending player option.
Per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports!, New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby is “widely expected” to decline his player option of $19.9 million for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
The Knicks traded for Anunoby, along with guard Malachi Flynn and forward Precious Achiuwa, during the 2023-24 season from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for guard Immanuel Quickley, forward RJ Barrett, and a 2024 second-round pick.
While Nets Wire wrote about five free-agent small forwards that the Nets could consider this offseason, Anunoby was not included in the list due to his player option. However, if Anunoby indeed declines his player option, he will be an unrestricted free-agent and Brooklyn could enter the bidding for Anunoby’s services.
Anunoby, 26, just completed his seventh season in the NBA after being taken by the Raptors with the 23rd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of Indiana University. During his time between Toronto and New York this season, Anunoby averaged 14.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 48.9% from the field and 38.2% from three-point land.
The one thing to keep in mind is that if Anunoby declines his player option for next season, it could be because he believes that he can receive more money from the Knicks on a new contract.
Fischer points out that “while league personnel are of the mind (Pascal) Siakam will certainly be re-signing with Indiana, there was word circling among team officials at last week’s NBA Draft Combine that Anunoby’s situation with the Knicks is not as cut and dried.”
If Anunoby truly ends up using his player option as leverage to get more money from New York, he may price himself out of what the Nets would be able to pay this offseason anyway. But, he could be another option for a Brooklyn team looking for talent.
