In wake of Knicks' OG Anunoby deal, more stars may soon be headed to MSG
OG Anunoby of the Knicks dishes off a pass in the second half against Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden on Monday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Rumors. Rumors. Rumors.
The two teams that tipped off Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden have been the focus of many of them.
The Knicks officially kicked off the trade deadline season last week when they sent RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round draft pick to the Raptors for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn. The Bulls, with aggrieved wingman Zach LaVine, soon to be free agent DeMar DeRozan and the coveted and versatile Alex Caruso, are poised to be a major player before the Feb. 8 trading deadline.
The Knicks entered Wednesday’s game having played just one game since their trade, but it seems not an hour goes by without some new report emerges that Knicks president Leon Rose being on the precipice of pulling yet another deal, one that would transform the team into an instant contender.
Certainly, the Garden was filled Wednesday night with Knicks fans who wouldn’t mind seeing a player like DeRozan in a Knicks uniform. With an average of 22 points per game before his 28 points Wednesday night in the Bulls’ 116-100 loss, DeRozan is on pace to have his 11th straight 20-point season. He also seems to have a penchant for making the big shot as the Knicks saw first-hand a little more than a year ago when DeRozan hit a game-winner with .3 seconds left on Dec. 23, 2022.
Even with the Toronto trade, the Knicks have assets to swing another deal for a top player — depending on who they are willing to give up.
The team still has eight tradable first-round picks, including four of their own and four that came from other teams. They also have Evan Fournier, who has played in just two games this season but has an expiring $18 million contract. As far as players, everyone except floor leader Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart and Miles McBride, who are not eligible, have the potential to be included in a deal. That even includes Julius Randle, who has been playing out of his mind the past few weeks and is averaging 24 points a game.
Although DeRozan may end up leaving Chicago, there are other players more likely to be at the top of the Knicks' wish list.
Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray has long been on the team’s radar and there are several reports that the Knicks would still like to make something work with the Hawks and bring him to Madison Square Garden. Averaging 20.2 points and 5.3 assists per game, he would be a huge offensive piece for the Knicks.
Some other names mentioned with the Knicks are (surprise, surprise) Donovan Mitchell, Karl Anthony Towns, who like a good chunk of the Knicks is represented by CAA, Portland playmaker Malcolm Brogdon and — (very outside shot) Devin Booker if Kevin Durant continues to gripe in Phoenix.
The Knicks are a better team with Anunoby in the starting lineup than they were with Barrett. The question is are they good enough to get past the second round and improve on last season’s finish? There’s no guarantee there, especially with Mitchell Robinson out for the season.
Still, a lot can change in the next five weeks before the trade deadline. Teams with good players could start falling apart and look to make big changes. The Knicks need to use that time before the deadline to make themselves an attractive landing spot for a disgruntled superstar.
Fortunately, the schedule is heavily in their favor. The Knicks play 20 games between now and Feb. 10, which is two days after the trading deadline. Fourteen of those games will be at Madison Square Garden, balancing out a brutal start to the season.
The Knicks enter Wednesday night’s game in seventh place, three games over .500. While the Celtics, Bucks and 76ers are the favorites to hold on to the East’s top three places, the rest seems up for grabs.
If the Knicks can take advantage of their schedule and start “stacking wins” as Brunson mentioned last week, they could suddenly become a very attractive destination, which is something you really haven’t been able to say about the franchise in a while.
One gets the feeling that there is more to come.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
