5 Best Destinations For OG Anunoby In Free Agency

Highlights

• OG Anunoby is a coveted defensive star with solid offensive skills, making him a prime target for contending NBA teams.
• The Knicks are likely to offer Anunoby a lucrative deal due to his impact, despite injury concerns.
• Anunoby could be a key addition for the Sixers, Spurs, Kings, or Lakers in their quest for success.

OG Anunoby is the type of player that any team in the NBA would love to have. His prowess on the defensive side of the basketball can completely transform a team on that end. Offensively, he provides a very reliable play-finisher, whether it be as a cutter or three-point shooter.

There is little reason for a team to see a player of his caliber and not envision him as someone who could help the trajectory of their franchise. That is, if they can overlook the issues of availability that have plagued him a touch, throughout his career in the NBA.

There will be plenty of big names available in this year’s free agency class. Players like Tyrese Maxey, LeBron James, Paul George, Pascal Siakam, and others could all hit the open market in some capacity.

When all is said and done, one shouldn’t be too surprised to see Anunoby receive one of the most lucrative deals of the season. The soon-to-be twenty-seven year old wing is sure to have a considerable list of teams ready to position themselves for his services.

New York Knicks

His current team should be able to provide him with plenty of financial incentive to stick around

Anunoby will surely have a strong list of suitors when free agency tips off, but it would be a bit shocking if anyone other than the New York Knicks were at the top of the list. The team is best-positioned to throw a massive contract at the defensive star, in hopes of remaining competitive in the Eastern Conference.

Anunoby got off to a very promising start with the Knicks. Under the bright lights of New York, the NBA media finally started to notice how impactful Anunoby can be for a team. A song that Toronto Raptors fans had been singing for years was finally a tune that the rest of the NBA world caught up to.

However, as is the usual with the Anunoby experience, his campaign was affected by injuries. Not having him available at pivotal moments during the NBA Playoffs certainly had to sting for the Knicks.

The biggest concern with Anunoby re-upping in New York certainly revolves around his relationship with injuries and head coach Tom Thibodeau’s relationship with running his players into the ground. Josh Hart may believe that’s an unfair narrative towards his head coach, but Thibodeau’s track record speaks for itself.

There should be some reservations about how that dynamic would work moving forward. Anunoby’s lack of durability could prove itself problematic for the Knicks and their coach. However, they stand to gain nothing from letting him leave outright this offseason after trading RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Raptors in order to acquire him.

Plus, after the year they just had, they are likely to fancy themselves close to an NBA championship. Anything other than throwing the bag at Anunoby, simply, doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Philadelphia 76ers

Anunoby presents a good fall-back option for the Sixers’ main plans

There are a lot of murmurings coming out of Philadelphia right now. The Philadelphia 76ers have the opportunity to completely remodel their roster this offseason with the most amount of cap space they’ve had in the free agency period since Joel Embiid’s ascent to superstardom.

The top priority for this offseason is undoubtedly retaining restricted free agent Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers guard broke out as a star this past season, securing his first All-Star selection and winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.

With the dynamic duo in place (assuming the Sixers either sign Maxey themselves or match any offer given to him), the team has reportedly been searching for a third star to bring to Philadelphia. Paul George, LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, and Brandon Ingram appear to be at the top of the team’s immediate plans for this offseason.

However, in the event that they miss out on all of those players, Anunoby is reportedly also in the mix as a fallback option. The Sixers are better-positioned than most other teams to give Anunoby the type of pay day he’d be looking for in free agency.

The on-court fit makes a lot of sense too. Anunoby is a low-maintenance offensive player who doesn’t need to dominate the ball in order to be an effective part of the offense. Defensively, he’d give them one of the best defenders in basketball who can consistently be tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player.

If the Sixers are looking to build a contender in the offseason and strike out on plans A through D, Anunoby might be the best plan E that one will come across.

San Antonio Spurs

Anunoby could help address the Spurs’ struggles on the defensive end

This is where things start to get a little trickier. The San Antonio Spurs don’t have the outright cap space to sign Anunoby to the type of contract he’d likely want in free agency. They would either need to seek out a team willing to take a contract dump in a trade to free up extra space or pursue the sign-and-trade route with the Knicks.

If they can make one of those two things work, Anunoby would be a great fit for the Spurs. Everyone knows the priority for this offseason will be to build around Victor Wembanyama. The biggest need for the team will obviously be the starting point guard position. Past that, they are definitely going to need help on the wings defensively.

The Spurs can always go the draft route to solve that need. They do have two lottery picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. However, if they are looking for a more immediate answer to those problems that will not need to be afforded the time to adapt to the NBA, Anunoby is as good of a solution to that problem as anyone.

The problem for the Spurs defensively is that Wembanyama has to sit at some point. When he does, the Spurs look much worse on that end. With Anunoby’s defense being added to that team, they have a chance to not only mitigate that problem, but turn into one of the top units in the league.

Anunoby would also add a reliable catch-and-shoot option on the perimeter for their offense when defenses look to swarm Wembanyama on the interior. If the Spurs can figure it out financially, this could be a slam dunk.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings need an upgrade on the wings

The Sacramento Kings are getting out-gunned in the Western Conference arms race. The team tumbled down to familiar grounds this season, missing the playoffs. Things are not about to get easier for them.

The Spurs are expected to rise sooner rather than later. The Memphis Grizzlies will be healthy again next season. There will be even more competition in the conference next year and if the Kings don’t want to be left behind, they need to be aggressive.

The team could stand to benefit considerably from the addition of a player like Anunoby to round out their starting lineup. They should have the salaries to match for a potential sign-and-trade this offseason.

Anunoby could provide a massive boost to both sides of the basketball for a team that is largely stuck in the middle right now. He would provide a reliable option to guard some of the best offensive talents in the league, who just so happen to reside in the Western Conference, for a team that otherwise doesn’t boast a lot of elite defenders that can also hold their own offensively.

Los Angeles Lakers

Anunoby could aid in one final championship push for LeBron

Where would a free agency list be without including the Los Angeles Lakers? Their team often likens themselves as the premiere destination for all free agents.

All jokes aside, Anunoby would be exactly the kind of player who would thrive beside LeBron. It’s already been mentioned how well Anunoby plays off-ball offensively. James would be one of the best players in the league with the ability to get the most out of him on that side of the court.

James continues to defy father time, maintaining a level of excellence that no one has ever seen of someone at this point in their NBA career. LeBron would likely welcome the presence of Anunoby defensively though, allowing him to preserve his legs for the other side of the basketball.

This deal would need to be a sign-and-trade with the Lakers’ cap situation and, admittedly, it’s tough to envision them coming together on a deal with the Knicks. If they did, though, it would be a massive boost to the Lakers’ title chances in the upcoming season. Pairing Anunoby with James and Anthony Davis is a prospect that a lot of teams around the league should fear.

Stats are courtesy of Basketball Reference. Contract details and cap figures are courtesy of Spotrac.