FILE – New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby (8) runs up the court after hitting a shot against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of Game 2 in an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)
NEW YORK — OG Anunoby will stay with the New York Knicks on a five-year NBA contract worth more than $210 million, a person with knowledge of the details said Wednesday.
Keeping the swingman was a priority for the Knicks after they flourished when Anunoby was in the lineup after arriving in December in a trade with Toronto.
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The deal was first reported by ESPN, which said Anunoby’s deal would be worth $212.5 million. The person confirmed the details to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract is not yet official.
The deal comes a day after the Knicks agreed to acquire Mikal Bridges in a trade from the Brooklyn Nets and means New York will have two top defensive players on the wings. Anunoby led the NBA in steals in the 2022-23 season.
The Knicks went 20-3 with Anunoby in the lineup in the NBA regular season after sending RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Raptors, and outscored their opponents while Anunoby was on the floor in every one of those games.
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They were up 2-0 on Indiana in the Eastern Conference semifinals before he had to miss the next four games after injuring his hamstring while scoring a career playoff-high 28 points in Game 2. Anunoby attempted to return in Game 7 but was still hurt and left quickly in the Knicks’ eventual loss.