The New York Knicks have been making moves. Not long after pulling the trigger on a blockbuster trade deal with the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges, the Knicks then went on to secure OG Anunoby to a five-year extension with $212.5 million.
As it turns out, however, Anunoby actually took a pay cut in order to remain in New York. According to reports, the former All-Defense swingman could have actually gotten max money elsewhere.
New York Knicks News: OG Anunoby Churned Opportunity for Max Deal
The Knicks clearly wanted to keep Anunoby. For his part, the 26-year-old exhibited his loyalty to the team by putting pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him in the Big Apple for the next five years.
According to a report by SNY’s Ian Begley, however, Anunoby actually lost out on quite a bit of money by choosing not to explore his option in free agency:
“After Anunoby declined to exercise the 2024-25 player option on his contract and became an unrestricted free agent earlier this week, it was a high priority for the Knicks to re-sign the forward.
“Anunoby would have had max offers from other places, but saw the vision with the Knicks and wanted to help build a true contender in New York, sources told Begley,” read the report.
How Much Money Did OG Anunoby Lose?
Anunoby has firmly established himself as one of the top small forwards in the NBA today. As such, it isn’t surprising that opposing teams were willing to offer him a max extension had he decided to become a free agent.
According to a report by Fred Katz of The Athletic, Anunoby could have secured a new deal worth $245.3 million for five years. That’s roughly $49 million a year, which pales in comparison to his new average annual income of $42.5 million with the Knicks.
Either way, that’s still considerably more than the $19.9 million Anunoby would have pocketed if he decided to opt into the final year of his current contract.
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