Knicks Forward to Test Free Agency Market

The New York Knicks can begin negotiating with their in-house free agents today, and it appears they have already started talking with OG Anunoby.

Anunoby, who turns 27 in July, is the Knicks’ top free agent this summer and arguably one of the biggest in the league. He’s looking to sign the richest free agent deal of his career this offseason, whether it comes from the Knicks or not.

According to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, Anunoby is going to test the market.

“Let’s keep an eye on that. Most people believe Anunoby will stay with New York, but there have been indications he may want to test the market, because he’s not thrilled with what the Knicks are offering,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s “Get Up.”

Jay Williams, who was next to Windhorst on set when he said this, said that he had “also heard that internally somewhere.”

Anunoby could be a target for teams that have a ton of cap space but may not have the star power currently on the roster. Anunoby could be a building block for a team looking to take a step in the right direction, like the Utah Jazz or Detroit Pistons. Both of those teams have a decent amount of cap space that could get them to sign Anunoby.

However, the Knicks remain a favorite to sign the seventh-year forward out of Indiana. The Knicks went out of their way to trade two of their young homegrown talents in the middle of the season to trade for Anunoby, and they are going to do a lot to try and keep him.

New York went 20-3 during the regular season when Anunoby was on the floor, so he makes a massive difference to the team overall. Losing him would force the Knicks to pivot in a big way, and they don’t want to do that after having their best season in over a decade.

The Athletic’s Fred Katz has reported that Anunoby is seeking a contract that’s around $35-40 million annually.

The Knicks have reason to be concerned with that number, especially considering how many games he missed due to injury, but New York also has to realize how valuable he is when he’s on the court, and that will likely drive their desire in these negotiations.

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