The New York Knicks have stolen the spotlight of the early NBA offseason, making the first blockbuster trade of the summer on Tuesday night when they flipped five first round picks and Bojan Bogdanovic across the river to the Nets for Mikal Bridges to complete their Villanova collection.
There was some question what the Bridges addition would mean for the non-Nova Knicks, but it didn’t take long to learn the Knicks meant it when reports came out that they were still planning on re-signing OG Anunoby. On Wednesday night, a couple hours before the start of the 2024 NBA Draft, word broke from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Anunoby was in agreement on a 5-year, $212.5 million contract to stay in New York long-term.
Free agent F OG Anunoby intends to sign a five-year, $212.5 million contract to return to the New York Knicks, sources tell ESPN. Deal will include a player option and a trade kicker. pic.twitter.com/q5VcjOeryW
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2024
That is obviously a lot of money, but the Knicks were unbelievably good when Anunoby was on the floor and healthy last year after acquiring him at the trade deadline. Anunoby’s raw stats don’t necessarily scream “near-max player,” but his impact on the team was unquestionable and his versatility on the wing allows the Knicks to do so much on both ends of the floor. Now attention shifts to the frontcourt of the Knicks roster, where Isaiah Hartenstein is a free agent and now figures to get his best offer outside of New York, and the Knicks will have to decide if Julius Randle is part of their long-term vision.