NBA Power Rankings: A demotion for the defending champs

In December, the New York Knicks reached out to the Toronto Raptors about forward OG Anunoby’s availability. In those talks, New York reportedly offered multiple first-round picks to Toronto for Anunoby.

While nothing advanced beyond the initial discussions phase, that offer signaled the Knicks are looking to add to their roster. New York has been in a battle all season long to get up to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. That would allow the Knicks to avoid the Play-In Tournament.

New York has all of their own first-round picks moving forward. They also have protected first-rounders coming their way from the Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards. The Mavericks and Bucks picks both project to convey as soon as possible (this year for Dallas and in 2025 for Milwaukee), while the Pistons and Wizards picks have sliding protections on them through 2027 and 2026 respectively.

The Knicks can also easily put together matching salary for Anunoby in a trade. New York has expiring contracts and young players they can send to Toronto, along with draft picks.