Knicks Have One of the Worst Contracts: Former NBA Exec

New York Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson was lauded when he essentially gave the franchise a hometown discount by signing his extension this summer rather than getting more next offseason.

But swept under the rug of Brunson’s landmark four-year, $156.5 million, which is $113 million less than what he could have received next summer, is OG Anunoby‘s five-year, $212.5 million deal.

Former Phoenix Suns executive and ESPN analyst Amin Elhassan called Anunoby’s contract one of the worst in the league.

“I’m not saying OG Anunoby’s not good,” Elhassan said on Sirius XM radio. “I’m not saying he’s not responsible for a lot of success [the Knicks] have had.”

The Knicks were 26-6 with Anunoby in the lineup last season. But he also missed 27 games since he arrived in a midseason trade last December.

“I’m saying when you guarantee every last dollar of $212 million to a guy who’s been extremely injury-prone, including this awesome season you just had with him where he missed a bunch of time … you have to protect yourself somewhere,’ Elhassan said.”

However, the Knicks did not include an injury clause nor team option in Anunoby’s contract.

“I think in a perfect world, he earns every last dollar of his contract,” Elhassan said. “But, alas, we don’t live in a perfect world.”

Anunoby used his leverage to get his max deal this offseason to stay in the NBA’s biggest media market.

According to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News, “Anunoby threatened to leave the Knicks in free agency just months after they acquired” him from the Toronto Raptors.

The Knicks gave up Immanuel Quickley, a Sixth Man of the Year finalist in 2023, former No. 3 overall pick RJ Barrett and a second-round pick (via Detroit), which turned out to be 31st overall pick Jonathan Mogbo, for Anunoby.

Anunoby played his cards right as he knew the Knicks could not replace him had he walked

The Philadelphia 76ers were the Knicks’ biggest threat to sign Anunoby as their top target Paul George was eyed by the Golden State Warriors in a spirited effort in the days leading to the start of free agency.

“With no cap space to sign free agents and having sacrificed key players to acquire their star forward, the Knicks eventually caved, and Anunoby secured the richest deal in franchise history: five years, $212.5 million,” Winfield wrote.

OG Anunoby’s ‘Head-Scratching’ Deal

Anunoby’s contract included all the bells and whistles — a player option on the final year and a trade kicker, which former Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager and currently ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks categorized as a “head-scratching” deal.

“Before Knicks fans worry too much, re-signing Anunoby was a smart move,” Marks wrote on July 11. “The Knicks were 20-3 with Anunoby in the regular season and the forward is one of the NBA’s elite defenders. He is also in the prime of his career, turning 27 on July 17.”

Like Elhassan, Marks also pointed out Anunoby’s durability as the biggest factor that could turn his contract into an albatross.

“Why the Anunoby contract is in the head-scratching section comes down to two issues: the 15% trade bonus and the fact that all five years of the contract are fully guaranteed,” Marks continued. “The Knicks could point to a contract that will age nicely, especially with the salary cap expected to increase 10% annually for the foreseeable future.

The $42.5 million salary in Year 3 is below the maximum salary for a player with six years or less of experience. However, durability continues to be an issue with Anunoby, having played an average of 50 games the past four seasons.”

Alder Almo is a basketball journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 15 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo