Although OG Anunoby won’t officially be a free agent until June 29, he can negotiate a new contract with the Knicks beforehand. The exclusive negotiating window comes into effect from the 2024 offseason as part of the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Knicks have made an offer to Anunoby, which the defensive ace isn’t “thrilled with.”
“Another person who could, in theory, negotiate and get a contract done within hours of the end of the [NBA] Finals is OG Anunoby,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s “Get Up” on June 17. “Let’s keep an eye on that. Most people believe that Anunoby will stay with New York, but there have been indications that he may want to test the market because he’s not thrilled with what the Knicks are offering.”
ESPN analyst Jay Williams said he had heard similar rumblings.
OG Anunoby, A Prized Free Agent
The Knicks can ill-afford to lose Anunoby, who played a key role in the franchise’s best season since the late 1990s. The second-seeded Knicks were one win away from their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000 and were primed to make a deeper postseason run if not for a slew of injuries to key players.
The Knicks were 26-6 in the 32 games Anunoby played (playoffs included) after he was acquired from the Raptors on December 30, 2023.
Anunoby’s impact on winning has made him a prized free agent entering the June 29 free agency period. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported on June 16 that Anunoby’s floor value “appears to be $35 million, and his ceiling is a max contract.” Scotto added that the Sixers — armed with a projected $65 million in cap space — could make a run at Anunoby especially if they fail in their bid to land Paul George.
“Two general managers told me they’d pay Anunoby $35 million annually and that a max would be tough because of his injury history,” Scotto wrote.
A Busy Offseason Awaits
Should the Knicks overpay for Anunoby or risk losing him to another team? Those would be among the many questions facing Leon Rose and his Knicks front-office crew in the 2024 offseason.
Besides Anunoby, the Knicks have decisions to make on three other free agents — Isaiah Hartenstein, Precious Achiuwa and Bojan Bogdanovic.
The Knicks also have decisions to make on Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle’s contract extensions. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Brunson is eligible to sign a four-year, $156.5 million extension on July 12, and Randle is eligible to sign a four-year, $181.5 million extension on August 3. In both cases, the players could benefit from delaying the extensions until the 2025 offseason, thereby securing more money.
“From a financial sense, Brunson is better off to wait until the 2025 offseason and then sign a new contract. If he declines his option for 2025-26, he will become eligible to sign a five-year, $270 million contract,” Marks wrote on May 30.
The Knicks could also be in the market for a blockbuster trade or two. They have a war chest of draft picks to utilize if a star player — such as Donovan Mitchell or Jimmy Butler — becomes available via trade in the 2024 offseason.
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