The Philadelphia 76ers are trying to get back to where the New York Knicks were during the NBA Playoffs, but in a perfect world, hoisting the NBA Finals trophy would be the end result.
On Tuesday, the Knicks swung a massive trade for Mikal Bridges , which has led to several questions about a few other current members of the team. That includes OG Anunoby, who the Knicks gave up Immanuel Quickley, R.J. Barrett, and the 31st pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to acquire.
Anunoby quickly became an integral part of coach Tom Thibodeau’s core, to the point where he was averaging 36 minutes per game during New York’s playoff run. Anunoby’s defense and rebounding ability made it so Thibs felt like he couldn’t even take him off the floor during key stretches.
Yet, now Anunoby’s contract is expired, and he’s one of the best NBA free agents available .
Anunoby hitting the open market offers others a chance to steal one of the Knicks’ key contributors, and according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the 76ers may be getting ready to do just that.
“If OG Anunoby gets to unrestricted free agency on Sunday without a deal for the Knicks, I don’t see a reason why the Sixers don’t come in hard after him with something close to that max offer.”
Brian Windhorst on New York Knicks potentially losing OG Anunoby to Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are projected to have the second-most salary cap space to spend this offseason at just over $55 million. Yet, since he’s one of their own free agents, the Knicks can actually offer Anunoby more than any other team at $245.3 million over five years, compared to a $182 million offer over four years from others.
Yet, there’s been no indication that the Knicks are ready to offer Anunoby the max, which could open up the process to other bidders, and the 76ers are in as strong of a position to pounce as any.
Related: NBA insider: New York Knicks ‘increasingly unlikely’ to re-sign fan favorite emerging star
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