Fans of the Toronto Raptors were preparing to watch the game against the Detroit Pistons tonight. But Toronto unexpectedly decided to make a trade today. The Raptors traded O.G. Anunoby, Malachi Flynn, and Precious Achiuwa to the New York Knicks for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a 2024 second-round pick from the Pistons.
For the Raptors, it’s not necessarily a rebuild for this team. It’s more of a retool. This team can still be in the playoff race if they don’t make any more trades. On the other hand, this could accelerate a rebuild if the front office wants to go in that direction.
Why trading O.G. Anunoby was the right choice?
As a Raptors fan, it’s sad to see Anunoby playing for another team. He was a great defender. It’s going to be tough to find another player like him. But it was time to move on. The Raptors are not in a great position right now. They have to do something to get out of their current position.
Plus, Anunoby can be a free agent in the 2024 offseason. If the Raptors didn’t want to overpay so they could keep him, then they might as well trade him. And they got a great haul in return. Toronto also got the Pistons second-round pick. That pick could be a top-three pick in the second round.
Are Barrett and Quickley a good return for Anunoby?
The Raptors have a hometown player in Barrett who can score. He’s also a better fit on this current Raptors team than Anunoby. Barrett can play both the shooting guard and small forward positions, while Anunoby is just a small forward.
Yeah, Anunoby was playing in the shooting guard position for most of this season and the second half of last season. But it didn’t work whenever he, Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam, and Jakob Poeltl, were on the floor together.
Toronto also gets another point guard in Quickley. The Raptors needed a point guard after losing Fred VanVleet in free agency in the summer. Dennis Schroder was a good pickup, but he wasn’t a long-term option.
And Malachi Flynn didn’t feel like he would be the future starting point guard for the Raptors. Getting Quickley is what Toronto needs. He can score and set plays. Quickley has the opportunity to show his potential in Toronto since he’ll get more minutes, and he could be the starting point guard for the Raptors.
For New York, they get a great three-and-d player in Anunoby. He’ll be a great fit for the Knicks. While Toronto got a nice haul for Anunoby, New York still has all of their first-round picks. They can still make a trade that can help them in the postseason.
It’s going to be weird seeing O.G. Anunoby in a Knicks jersey. But the trade was necessary. The Raptors had to make a change. Giving up Anunoby was tough, but fortunately, they got two players who can help this team plus a second-round that’s basically a late first-round pick since it belonged to the Pistons.
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