Knicks and Raptors both won out in OG Anunoby-RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley trade. Now they face each other.
Given the chance to talk about his return to New York, RJ Barrett was effusive Wednesday night in his praise of the city, his old teammates and Knicks fans. Given the chance to reflect on facing his former team three weeks after the trade that sent him to New York, OG Anunoby was, well, less than effusive.
“Just go out there and try to win the game,” he said. “See the staff, see the people, see my friends, old teammates.”
The different personalities will meet with a chance to state their case on the court at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. It’s not that it doesn’t matter to Anunoby or that he isn’t going to feel something. But it’s just Anunoby. Based on talking to teammates, coaches and even the media relations folks who have tried to guide him through interviews, there is a universal sentiment — Anunoby is a great guy but a man of few words.
“That’s what you guys are going to get all the time,” said Toronto’s Chris Boucher, one of Anunoby’s closest friends on the Raptors and now the last remaining player on the roster from the 2019 NBA champions. “Don’t be surprised. It’s just his personality. That’s how he became my best friend, to be honest with you. At first I was like, ‘Man, why is he like that?’ And when I realized that’s really who he is, I was like, ‘Well, you could always work with people like that, people who stay to themselves regardless of what happens.’ ”
And that’s what you find walking through Scotiabank Arena, same as at Madison Square Garden. The trade that shifted the franchises is one of the rare deals in which both teams are not just saying they’re happy but actually are moving forward and showing it.
The Knicks have gone 8-2 since the trade, with Anunoby being the key figure in making them the best defensive team in the NBA in that span. The Raptors are embarking on a rebuild and are content to start it with Barrett and Immanuel Quickley surrounding Scottie Barnes.
“I mean, it’s a win-win situation,” Jalen Brunson said. “Those guys are playing at a high level, and we’ve obviously been playing well of late. Just from my experience, I still have a lot of friends in Dallas, so we keep things cordial obviously when we’re not playing and stuff like that, but we create a lot of relationships in this league, so you really get to see where people can go with their careers, but the relationships and the friendships, those stay the same obviously off the court.”
Anunoby already has proved to be a perfect fit, which certainly will be a consideration when the Knicks have to negotiate a contract extension with him this summer that likely will make him the highest-paid player on the roster. But if he helps them move forward, they’ll consider that money well spent.
He is another player in the mold of coach Tom Thibodeau. He plays massive minutes with no complaints, doesn’t beg for more shots and takes on the toughest defensive assignment every night.
Quickley is in a similar spot, finally given the starting role he wanted with free agency awaiting him this summer. Barrett is more complicated. He was the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft — the highest draft pick by the franchise since Patrick Ewing but regarded as a consolation prize when the team couldn’t land Zion Williamson or Ja Morant. He's not the high-ceiling talent they are, but there's never a bit of the drama in which those two have been embroiled.
Barrett went from being pushed as a face of the franchise to a third wheel with the arrival and ascension of Brunson. There wasn’t room for a third player who needed the ball and who wanted to live at the rim. He has his chance again in his hometown of Toronto while Anunoby stands in the corner, content to play his part.
“Yeah, that’s not me,” said Barrett, who has attempted one fewer shot per game in his 10 games with Toronto but is scoring more and doing it more efficiently. “I enjoy just playing free-moving, so yeah, I’m enjoying the play style here.
“I thought we were a three-headed monster for a little bit,” he added of his role with Brunson and Julius Randle. “Obviously, as time goes along, they made the trade and it’s been working well for them. So I’m happy for them.”
Both teams likely are not done with moves. The Knicks still seek bench help as they try to put the finishing touches on a roster while they await the chance to deal for another star. Saturday, though, will be a time to see old friends and show the direction the players and teams are headed.
“I think the trade was a win-win, and there’s not many that happen like that,” Donte DiVincenzo said. “But they’re both in a position — you know RJ’s going to come out. Quick is in a position where he’s the starting point guard over there, he can really thrive. I’m excited for the Garden to give him a warm welcome, because it’s much deserved.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
