Why The Toronto Raptors Should Not Consider An OG Anunoby Trade

Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby is rumored to be open towards a change, that would see him leave Canada for another team, by trade.

Whether that rumor has any validity remains to be seen, but on the surface it makes little sense for Anunoby to wish for a change, and it certainly would behoove the Raptors to do everything in their power to hang onto him.

Year-to-year improvements

Anunoby has steadily improved every single year of his career, to the point where the Raptors felt comfortable handing him a contract extension worth $72 million over four years.

The 24-year-old is one the league’s better two-way forwards, having expanded his role from being primarily in the “3-and-D” category to being a more wholesome offensive player who over the past two seasons has sported an average of 16.5 points to go along with rock solid defense. In the three years prior, Anunoby notched 7.8 points, and was considerably more opportunistic in his shot attempts than he is now.

Toronto deserves credit for their part in Anunoby’s development as well. The organization has given him increasing levels of offensive responsibilities every year, while giving him a platform to test out his own game, even off his own creation, which wasn’t a big part of his game coming into the league in 2017.

While the forward, who can play both forward spots and a bit of center in a pinch, has dealt with injuries these last two seasons, playing a combined 91 games in the regular season, there’s no doubt he factors into Toronto’s long-term plans, hence their financial commitment to him.

Future role

The arrival of Scottie Barnes, who won the Rookie Of the Year award this season, is only going to work as an additional help in getting Anunoby more open looks, as Barnes is a prolific passer who – like Anunoby himself – can play multiple positions.

Some might point to Barnes and the presence of Pascal Siakam and wonder what place there is left to Anunoby, but this is where Toronto’s cast of multi-positional players greatly benefit them, as they can shuffle people all around the lineup, creating minutes for players they deem worthy.

It would also benefit both the Raptors and Anunoby to use him slightly more off the ball. This season, 61.5% of his offense was assisted, but the Raptors have plenty of playmakers that would allow Anunoby to take more open and efficient shots, thus helping both him become more efficient, and the Raptors by having more efficient offense altogether.

Of course, if Anunoby sees himself as a future ball-handler and shot-initiator, that’s going to take some adjustments, and ultimately, it comes to finding a balance between letting him cook on his own, and having him play a specific role within the offense. The point here being, it shouldn’t be impossible to satisfy both parties in the grand scheme of things.

Attractive trade piece

There’s no question that if Anunoby should want out, at least 20 teams should immediately inquire about his availability. Anunoby plays a two-way brand of basketball that resembles what the Boston Celtics offer team-wide, and they’re currently sitting even in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.

As such, Anunoby would command a hefty return, especially due to the fact that he still has another two years left on his contract, before a player option in 2024, which he surely will not pick up, as he is currently out-producing his contract.

Is it worth it for Toronto to explore his value? Sure, it never hurts to know what you can get in return for a player who may want to go to a different situation, but their number one priority should be to retain Anunoby.

After all, when you have a 24-year-old player who’s gotten better every single year of his career, it’d be foolish to expect that to suddenly stop.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.