Toronto Raptors wing OG Anunoby might be the most interesting player who could get moved before the NBA’s upcoming trade deadline Thursday, Feb. 9.
While some insiders “doubt” the Raptors would trade Anunoby, there are rumors one team (perhaps the Knicks) may have even offered as many as three first-round picks for the wing.
Anunoby has said that he doesn’t want out of Toronto, and further reporting indicates that he has “no issue” playing for the organization. But there might be more to the story.
Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes told league insider Marc Stein that Anunoby has, in fact, braced himself for a potential move (via #thisleague UNCUT):
“I think OG himself, off of what I’m hearing, he would like a change of scenery himself. I don’t know if he’s going to management or it’s gotten that far to request a trade, but management knows how he feels. He’s let it be known already. I think he would embrace a change of scenery.”
Haynes added that the Pelicans are high on Anunoby and there could be a bidding war between New Orleans and the Memphis Grizzlies.
We have also listed the Knicks, Suns, and Pacers as potential suitors.
All of these front offices, especially the Pelicans and Knicks, have enough draft collateral in their arsenal to potentially get a deal done.
Anunoby ranks among the top 10 in defensive matchup difficulty, according to BBall-Index, and second-best (minimum: 1,000 minutes) in defensive positional versatility.
This indicates that he guards the best player on the other team, regardless of the position. He is also impactful and currently ranks third-best in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus (dEPM) in 2022-23.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported that “the entire league” wants Anunoby and the Raptors could return a Donovan Mitchell-sized package in exchange for the 25-year-old wing.