Jan 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) during the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Knicks may be rubbing their most important impending free agent the wrong way.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN appeared earlier this week on “Get Up.” During the episode, Windhorst commented about OG Anunoby’s situation with the Knicks and indicated that Anunoby is not happy over contract negotiations with the team.
“Most people believe that Anunoby will stay with New York,” Windhorst said. “But there have been indications that he may want to test the market because he’s not thrilled with what the Knicks [are offering].”
Anunoby, a former champion with the Toronto Raptors, went to the Knicks in a trade last December. He averaged 14.1 points per game on a sturdy 39.8 percent shooting from three in New York and also emerged as the Knicks’ best and most versatile one-on-one defender.
The Knicks can offer the 26-year-old Anunoby the most money in free agency (up to $245 million over five years). But it might not be smart for them to go that high since Anunoby is often injured (including a hamstring issue that sidelined him for most of their playoff series against Indiana) and since the Knicks have other important free agents to deal with this summer.
Still, the Knicks run the risk of alienating Anunoby with a lowball offer, which may be what is happening here. If talks with the Knicks somehow fall apart, there will definitely be some East rivals ready to swoop for Anunoby.
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