How Reported Knicks-Raptors Splash Trade Impacts Celtics

The Knicks and Raptors reportedly made a big NBA in-season trade.

New York on Saturday traded RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a 2024 second-round pick to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Malachi Flynn also will be sent to the Knicks, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

The trade for the Raptors came a day after they lost to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden and is a homecoming for Barrett, who was born in Toronto. It also came amid a federal lawsuit between New York and Toronto.

It’s a deal that made plenty of sense for the Raptors. Head coach Darko Rajaković had been tinkering with his rotation, and it was evident in the Boston game that Toronto needed more scorers around Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakiam.

Toronto likely will be fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament, which could put it in line to play Boston if the Celtics secure the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

But if Rajaković is able to make things work, and the Toronto gets hot, the Raptors could be a team Boston meets in the second round of the playoffs.

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NBA fans universally agreed the Knicks got fleeced in this reported deal, and it’s hard to disagree. Anunoby is on an expiring deal, and while New York had its eyes on the 26-year-old for quite some time, it gives him a lot more leverage when the sides negotiate a new contract.

The bench is much thinner for Tom Thibodeau, and another move could be in the works. Zach LaVine is a popular name expected to be traded, and the Knicks could try to put together another trade to build a core of Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Anunoby and LaVine.

New York has multiple first-round picks to offer, and Evan Fournier’s contract from the 2021 sign-and-trade with the Celtics gives them financial flexibility to acquire a significant player.

Bojan Bogdanovic, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Alex Caruso are other names that have been floated around as possible players who might get dealt during trade deadline season, but those names shouldn’t threaten the Celtics if they matchup against the Knicks in the postseason.

If New York did land Caruso, that at least would make it a difficult matchup with the Knicks given the ability to throw Anunoby and Caruso on an opposing team’s best players.

It still would be an underwhelming team if the Celtics met them in the playoffs, but it does show how open the East is outside of Boston, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers. The reported deal does give New York more upside to be a top-four team in the East.

It would not be shocking if more trades were made to try to compete with the best teams in the conference.