Knicks guard OG Anunoby has opted out of his contract and into free agency, according to multiple reports.
Anunoby signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Toronto Raptors in 2020 with a player option for the 2024-25 season. When he was acquired by the Knicks from Toronto last season, New York inherited the terms of the deal but risked losing Anunoby as an unrestricted free agent.
The option was worth $19.9 million next season, and his next contract could easily top $35 million per season.
Health is the biggest question mark. Anunoby missed 76 total games the past three seasons because of injuries and did not play during Toronto’s NBA title run in 2019 after an emergency appendectomy.
Anunoby turns 27 next month. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season in 50 total regular-season games with the Raptors (27 games) and Knicks.
During the 2024 playoffs, Anunoby went from an essential part of beating the Philadelphia 76ers to attempting to fight through a hamstring injury in the seven-game series with the Indiana Pacers.
In 418 career games, Anunoby has averaged 12.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals during his first seven NBA seasons.
The Knicks are negotiating with unrestricted free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein, 26, in hopes of keeping him but are limited to a maximum salary of $16.2 million per season. Hartenstein represents a more expensive option for teams angling to draft UConn’s 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan on Wednesday night.
NBA free agency begins Sunday.
