One rival team appears ready to make the New York Knicks sweat for OG Anunoby this summer.
Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reported this week that members of the Philadelphia 76ers see the veteran forward Anunoby as an offseason target. Begley notes that Anunoby could be a Plan B for the 76ers if they fail to land top target Paul George of the LA Clippers. The 76ers may end up making a “big offer” to Anunoby, if for nothing else other than to force the Knicks to match, Begley adds.
Philadelphia, a rival of the Knicks in the Atlantic Division, would be a very interesting landing spot for Anunoby. Most prominently, they are coached by Nick Nurse, Anunoby’s former head coach on the Toronto Raptors whom he won the 2019 NBA title with and who helped develop him into an upper-tier NBA wing. The 76ers also have Anunoby’s ex-Raptors teammate Kyle Lowry on the roster (though Lowry is a free agent himself this summer).
The smart money is still on the Knicks ponying up to retain Anunoby. They gave up a whole lot to land him in a trade just months ago and also acquired Anunoby’s Bird rights as a result (meaning that the Knicks can pay Anunoby the most money, which is reportedly $245 million over five years). But if the 76ers want to drive up the price on their division rivals (or just make a run at Anunoby on their own merits), the runway is clear for them to do so.
