The New York Knicks just made a major move.
They got better on paper by replacing the ever-struggling RJ Barrett with OG Anunoby.
Immanuel Quickley will now be headed up north to play for the Toronto Raptors.
This move came out of the blue, which is why he took to Twitter to share how surprised he was about this.
“Oh my goodness,” Quickley posted.
Oh my goodness….
— Immanuel Jaylen Quickley (@IQ_GodSon) December 30, 2023
Nonetheless, even though the timing of this trade was shocking, the move itself wasn’t.
On the one hand, Anunoby had made it loud and clear that he wouldn’t resign with the Raptors, and he was rumored to be traded last season.
On the other hand, the Knicks failed to reach an agreement extension with Quickley as well, and multiple teams could’ve shown an interest in getting him.
Notably, the Knicks will now replace him in the second unit with Malachi Flynn.
Quickley is an explosive and efficient three-level scorer, and he was often held back in Tom Thibodeau’s rotation, but he’ll have a little over half a season to go off and earn his new contract.
It’s still too early to judge who won the trade, and both parties could end up benefiting from this move.
But of all of the players involved in this blockbuster deal, Quickley has the highest upside, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can fulfill his potential in Toronto.
NEXT: Knicks, Raptors Announce Major Trade