Almost two weeks later, Knicks and Raptors are both benefiting greatly from trade

Sometimes a midseason trade tanks a team’s chemistry. Sometimes a midseason trade injects new life into a team. The trade sending OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks and RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Toronto Raptors, appears to be the latter. After about two weeks with their new teams, the three main pieces of that trade are thriving and both the Knicks and Raps look like completely different teams.

For the season, the Knicks have been a passable defensive team, posting the 14th-best defense rating in the NBA. But in the five games since Anunoby joined the lineup, New York is stifling teams like it’s 2004 – the Knicks rank first in defense over that stretch, allowing just 100.2 points per 100 possessions. That’s an outrageous number considering how incendiary offenses have become in 2024.

These defensive efforts aren’t fruitless, either. New York is 5-0 in that span and has quickly risen to fourth in the Eastern Conference standings behind just the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers. Whether New York has the guns to keep up with those elite teams of the East come playoff time remains to be seen, but the initial returns on the Anunoby trade look wonderful.

Anunoby himself is averaging 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and shooting 45.5% from deep since the trade. New York is asking him to do less off the dribble and he looks more comfortable in his role as a Knick than he did in his role as a Raptor.

Speaking of the Raptors, they are receiving splendid play from new acquisitions RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. In five games, Barrett has been wonderful. He exploded for 37 points against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 7 and has averaged 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 50% from three-point range.

Barrett isn’t the greatest shooter in basketball history so that last number will level out as the season progresses, but the Canada native is clearly benefitting from a change of scenery. Criticized in New York for his inefficient scoring, a return back home has done Barrett good thus far. He’s gone through stretches like this before, so maintaining this scoring efficiency – 58% true shooting seems like a good number to aim for – will be his next test.

Barrett’s new Raptors teammate (and old Knicks teammate) Quickley is thriving in his new role, too. That role is “starting point guard.” IQ became a Knick fan favorite over the past few years but always played more of a bench scorer role than a lead guard role.

But Toronto is giving him a chance to be that lead guard (30.0 minutes per game) and he’s taking advantage of the opportunity. Quickley is averaging 18.0 points with the Raptors and perhaps more importantly, dishing 6.2 assists per game. He is shedding the label of a score-first combo guard and showing that he can be trusted as a starting guard who creates opportunities for his teammates and not just himself.

Toronto’s offense is humming with these two in the mix, ranking fourth in the league over the past five games after operating as a middle-of-the-pack offensive team before the trade. It hasn’t resulted in world domination – the Raps are 3-2 in those five games – but everything looks more fluid for them nonetheless.

We don’t often see NBA trades that end with everyone being happy, but this deal between the Knicks and Raptors is shaping up to be the exception to that rule.