Ten pressing questions after Knicks’ blockbuster deal for Raptors’ OG Anunoby

You’ve got questions after the Knicks’ blockbuster deal with the Raptors on Saturday , and we’ve got answers. The Post’s Stefan Bondy breaks down the 10 most pressing questions from the blockbuster: A: The Knicks, as I noted in a previous column , were poorly constructed. They have too many guards, too many players who need to ball in their hands to be effective offensively.

A couple players griped about it publicly. And it felt like the Knicks reached their ceiling with the configuration. By swapping out RJ Barrett for OG Anunoby, the Knicks get a 3 and D wing who is a better defender and spaces the floor without dominating the ball. There also had to be a realization that Barrett, despite averaging close to 20 points, was never going to become the All Star the Knicks envisioned when they drafted him third overall in 2019.

His jump shot never improved. A: Yes, but as noted in the first question, his minutes were limited by sharing a rotation with Donte DiVincenzo and Quentin Grimes. Plus, Quickley became a trade candidate the moment he and the Knicks couldn’t agree to a contract extension in the summer . Quickley will look for a major payday in the summer — he was gunning for nine figures in negotiations with the Knicks — and is more valuable to a team that will actually play him 30 minutes per game.

Sign up for Inside the Knicks by Stefan Bondy, a weekly exclusive on Sports+. Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Thank you Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! A: No. In terms of sheer basketball talent, the Knicks didn’t get better.

Anunoby is not close to an All Star. He just theoretically fits better next to Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson. With that being said, the Knicks made an even smaller move last season — acquiring Josh Hart for a first round pick — and the revamped rotation pushed them to a higher level. A: It certainly doesn’t have to be.

Despite trading two of their better young players, the Knicks held on to all their first round picks and could use them in any future trade. They also still have the expiring contract of Evan Fournier, who has survived on the Knicks roster despite all indications he’d be gone by now. And the Knicks don’t even have to trade Fournier by the February deadline.

They could wait until after the season to pick up his one year, $19 million team option to use it in the summer as an expiring trade chip. A: Probably, yes. He has a $19.9 million player option for next season and likely will look for a huge deal in 2024 free agency. Assuming he declines the option, Anunoby will be an unrestricted free agent, but the Knicks, by trading for him, can offer the 26 year old the most money while using his Bird Rights to go over the cap.

The Knicks, I’m guessing, already discussed the possibility of re signing Anunoby with the player and/or his representation. A: You don’t normally have to ask this question after a trade but it’s more pertinent with the Knicks, who have strong ties to CAA, the agency formerly run by team president Leon Rose.

In the summer, Anunoby left Klutch Sports — the agency that has been reluctant to do business with the Knicks — to join CAA. Among Anunoby’s listed agents is Sam Rose, the son of Leon. A: Yes, they are . There has been some nasty mudslinging in civil court over the Knicks’ allegations that the Raptors stole scouting information through their video coordinator (who used to work for the Knicks).

But the animosity obviously didn’t prevent a deal. A: Definitely in the 2013 trade for Andrea Bargnani, when the Knicks gave up a first round pick for a center who was hurt and unplayable. Before that, when Ujiri was running the Nuggets, he played hardball with the Knicks until they gave up more assets than they hoped to acquire Carmelo Anthony.

One of those draft picks turned into Jamal Murray. A: He’s a strong center who will immediately be in the mix for a rotation spot. Mitchell Robinson remains out indefinitely following ankle surgery, and Jericho Sims — while close to a return — hasn’t played since spraining his ankle on Dec. 18.

The circumstances thrust Taj Gibson into action, even though the 38 year old was originally signed as a locker room presence. But now Achiuwa, who played high school ball in The Bronx and Newark, can serve in that spot after averaging 7.7 points and 5.4 boards in 17.5 minutes with the Raptors this season.

He’s also an option at backup power forward, which was another hole for the Knicks after trading Obi Toppin in the summer. Achiuwa is undersized for a center at just 6 foot 8 but makes up for it with strength and athleticism. A: Maybe. It’s either Flynn or Miles McBride. With Quickley gone, however, nobody is good enough to step into that role.

That might not mean much if Jalen Brunson is healthy and logging his 35 plus minutes per game, but it does present issues with an injury. Flynn is a career 38 percent shooter in four seasons and only secured a regular spot in Toronto’s rotation this year. He’s fine for a few minutes but certainly not Quickley..