What started as a typical December day in 2023 turned into chaos when the New York Knicks traded RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a second-round pick to the Raptors for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn. In a few months, the second anniversary of the trade will be upon us, and it's clear which team got the upper hand in that deal.
Anunoby was the headliner of the trade, but Achiuwa proved his value, too. The Knicks re-signed Anunoby (five-year deal) and Achiuwa (one-year deal) last summer. Achiuwa's time in New York came to a close at the end of last season, as he's currently still on the market as an unrestricted free agent.
Quickley re-signed with the Raptors last offseason on a five-year, $175 million deal. Although Barrett was the No. 3 pick in 2019, Quickley was the headliner of the trade for Toronto.
Barrett's future in Toronto is uncertain. The Raptors traded for Brandon Ingram (and signed him to a three-year extension) before the February deadline, leading to speculation that a Barrett trade could happen. Six months later, that speculation remains.
On Wednesday, NBA insider Jake Fischer discussed the Raptors' future after they extended GM Bobby Webster on Bleacher Report's Insider Notebook. Fischer said that Toronto looked for ways to add veteran talent to the roster this offseason and wants to be a top team in the conference. He believes that the Raptors will be a buyer before the deadline, listing Barrett as a "potential trade candidate."
Fischer noted that Barrett's name was brought up in Toronto's Ingram trade discussions with New Orleans, but the Pelicans weren't interested. If they had been, he might've been reunited with Zion Williamson, which is ironic, given that the Knicks wanted Zion in 2019 but didn't get the top pick.
Raptors could trade RJ Barrett before the deadline
Barrett has two years left on the four-year extension he signed with the Knicks in 2022. He'll make $27.7 million this upcoming season and $29.6 million in 2026-27. His salary could help the Raptors make another splash before next year's deadline, depending on who is available.
New York wasn't criticized for including Barrett in the trade for Anunoby, with the majority of the backlash coming from IQ going to Toronto.
The writing was on the wall that he'd be traded. New York couldn't give him the starting role he wanted, so why pay him like a starter? Quickley got that kind of money from the Raptors.
Barrett isn't part of Toronto's long-term plan, unlike Quickley. He didn't reach the expectations set for him in New York as a top-three pick. His production increased with the Raptors (particularly in the second half of the season after the trade), but they didn't want to pass on the opportunity to get Ingram.
The Knicks don't need the Raptors to trade Barrett for them to know that they won the trade, but it'd serve as further confirmation of what we already know.