On December 30th, 2023, the Toronto Raptors agreed to send Precious Achiuwa, Malachi Flynn and the beloved OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks in exchange for Toronto-born former 2019 3rd overall pick RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a 2024 2nd-round draft pick (via Detroit). A move that induced a barrage of mixed feelings onto Raptors fans. While finally apparent the Raptors are prepared to resort to a tank of sorts, OG being the first domino to fall wasn’t taken lightly in Toronto.
RJ’s Homecoming
The acquisition of RJ Barrett did a lot to soften the blow and fill the void left by OG’s departure. RJ immediately became the best Canadian and Torontonian basketball player to ever don the Raptor red. Upon arrival he was in good form, performing reasonably well in his 5th year in the NBA and with the Knicks, averaging 18.2 points per game, with career lows in both fouls per game (1.7) and turnovers (1.8), and a career high .831% from the free throw strike.
Since his arrival in Toronto, the 23-year-old RJ is just below his career high points per game average of 20.0 in 2021-22, currently 19.9 per game. He’s also averaging career highs in total rebounds (7.1), defensive rebounds (6.4), assists (3.4), blocks (0.5), field goal percentage (.560), effective field goal percentage (.628), 2-point field goal percentage (.613), field goals made per game (7.6), 2-point field goals made per game (5.8), and 3-point field goal percentage (.441). Though he’s only played 8 games with the Raptors, it’s safe to say he’s had a comfortable transition and has etched out his role in the rotation.
High or Low on IQ
All the while, the Quickley portion of the deal was met with more speculation. Though IQ’s body of work in his young career is not necessarily cause for any concern, there was doubt casted in his direction as a result of his inability to secure valuable minutes under Tom Thibodeau. In his young career, IQ has seen his minutes per game average as high as 28.9 just last season, yet early on this season with the Knicks, coach Thibodeau weakened his role in the rotation down to 24 minutes per game prior to his move North of the border.
IQ was stuffed in an overloaded backcourt, sharing minutes with Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, Quentin Grimes, Miles McBride and Ryan Arcidiacono. Hard to blame anyone for Quickley not seeing consistent minutes during his tenure in New York.
Raptors fans are quickly (no pun intended) learning that this was a Thibs and Knicks front office problem, not an IQ problem. Much like RJ, the move North has been revolutionary for Quickley. Despite only being 8 games in, since the trade is averaging career highs in minutes per game (31.0), points per game (18.9), assists per game (5.0), rebounds per game (4.6), defensive rebounds per game (4.3), blocks per game (0.3), turnovers per game (0.9), 3-point percentage (.469), field goal attempts (14.5), and free throw makes and attempts per game (3.5/4.1) amongst a few others.
In retrospect it’s pretty great that the Raptors front office managed to find a way to get a young NBA-ready backcourt in immediate return for the OG Anunoby end of year player option situation. From an age perspective with the center building block being 22-year-old Scottie Barnes, 23-year-old RJ and 24-year-old Immanuel Quickley are right on schedule.
Knicks Insider calls RJ, IQ and Obi Toppin ‘Softies’
Steve Popper at Newsday mentioned in an article that “One team source pointed out that in moving out Obi Toppin last summer, then Barrett and Quickley recently, ‘We got rid of the softies,'” Popper goes on to say that “The roster now consists nearly completely of hard-nosed defenders”.
And while it’s my instinct to defend our new acquisitions, there’s something to be said for the ‘brand’ of defence since losing OG and Precious. In fact, since the trade the Raptors defensive rating has been a terrible 122.3, good enough for 27th in the NBA and better than only the Portland Trailblazers, Detroit Pistons and and Golden State Warriors who are a combined 5-19 in that timeframe.
The Raptors are 3-5 since the trade and with a brighter future in sight, it’s harder to see the immediate flaws. Prior to the deal the Raptors’ defensive rating was right around league average at 115.2, the New York Knicks were a below average 115.5 prior to the deal, and since have had the best defence in the NBA by rating, with an astounding 104.7. As a result the Knicks are 6-2 with OG in the starting lineup after starting off 5-0 after the deal.
Despite all of this, the Raptors’ offensive rating saw a significant jump with the addition of RJ an IQ and subtraction of OG and Precious, from 114.0 (17th) prior to 118.7 after, and has kept them them on their track towards a measly 30-35 wins, consistent with a tank. Now the question is; if we can get that for OG, what can we get for Pascal?