Duality of OG Anunoby's Contract

Leon Rose is either a genius or another New York Knicks executive, inevitably ending his tenure as Wile E. Coyote holding an Acme bomb with a lit fuse. Following the hot summer in New York, in which the franchise signed Jalen Brunson to a bargain deal, they also paid quite the price to keep free agent OG Anunoby. Will such a signing ruin the team, or was the deal simply the cost of doing business?

The Knicks acquired Anunoby in a midseason trade, parting with RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a second-round pick. Although the front office didn't waste first-round assets, it traded two rotation players for one. New York couldn't afford to waste a trade and cost the franchise contention by nickel-and-diming negotiations.

Before the Knicks ultimately re-signed Anunoby at an eye-opening five-year, $212.5 million deal with a player option valued at $48.3 million, rumors circulated that the New York free agent "wasn't impressed" with the initial offer.

Furthermore, the Knicks weren't negotiating solely with Anunoby but with rival teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers.

Philadelphia, the victim of the Knicks synergy and Brunson's wrath, could have easily thrown a wrench in New York's free agency plans, which brings us back to a simple business model. The more demand, the more supply, and with more demand on Anunoby's services, they had to supplement the need with more cash for the sought-after 3-and-D free agent.

Anunoby has the largest contract on the team in terms of both annual earnings and years on the deal.

At face value, you are looking at a player with a sole individual accolade to his name, who also led the league in steals per game on one occasion. However, Anoinoby has achieved the highest level of success in winning, as he participated in the 2019 Toronto Raptors' winning the NBA championship.

Related: Jalen Brunson Looking to Lead Knicks to Finals

However, a 3-and-D wing is a hot commodity in the league, especially considering the reigning NBA champions have two stars at the wing position. For the Knicks to genuinely achieve championship status, or at least flirt with such a destination, Brunson and Randle won't cut it, which is why they also traded for Mikal Bridges.

Nonetheless, the gaudy number sticks out on a roster where their best player took significantly less to stay with the Knicks. If the Knicks even make the NBA Finals, fans will forget such a number, as sports is a results-driven industry.

However, if the Knicks fail to reach the goal, Anunoby's contract will stick out like Bugs Bunny in the Looney Tunes closing credits.