Once and for all, OG Anunoby, the rumored trade target of the Indiana Pacers, was traded from the Toronto Raptors to the New York Knicks.
The Knicks were forced to play without a full roster the night after the trade against the Indiana Pacers. In their home court, Indiana defeated the Knicks 14 to 1, moving the Pacers up to the top of the standings. However, the Pacers are impacted by the move in more ways than one.
Over the previous year or two, Indiana had been frequently connected to Anunoby through trade.The latest publication to link the blue and gold to the now-Knicks wing was The Athletic. The Pacers won’t be able to sign Anunoby now that he’s in New York unless something unexpected occurs in free agency next summer.
To strengthen their squad, the Pacers are looking for a two-way wing player, but they are not easy to come by. Anunoby might have been available, but without knowing how highly Toronto regarded Quickley in comparison to any Pacers prospects or young players, it’s difficult to determine what a fair trade price would have been for Indiana.
“OG, Precious [Achiuwa], and Malachi [Flynn] are exciting additions to the team,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau declared on Saturday. “You’re looking at both the short term and the long term.”
Anunoby can guard several positions, which excites Thibodeau due to his positional size. “Everyone is looking for size wings,” he stated. For all those reasons, Indiana would have been a great fit for the former Raptor. Anunoby attended Indiana University to play collegiate basketball.
The focus is now on Pascal Siakam, who is reportedly a target for the Pacers along with the Raptors.The Anunoby trade has left NBA officials wondering where Siakam “could be headed and what would it take to land him in a trade,” according to HoopsHype.
Without knowing what the Raptors asked from them in a possible Anunoby deal, it is impossible to determine if Indiana wasted any kind of chance. Nevertheless, the Pacers will need to search elsewhere for support at the front positions since one of the best two-way wings in the league has joined an Eastern Conference rival.