The way Saturday's Anunoby deal with New York emerged without warning illustrated yet again that Raptors president Masai Ujiri moves according to his own clock. He has repeatedly found the gumption to tune out external voices demanding action as well as criticism — both of which have been rising in volume north of the border since VanVleet bolted for Houston in free agency without compensation in July — and move when he decides the Raptors are ready.
As it was put to me during the recent G League Showcase in Orlando: You haven't been paying attention if you're surprised Ujiri operates in this manner. I was reminded that Ujiri's patience, even when impatience around him is mounting, has been evident for nearly 15 years, going back to the Carmelo Anthony trade saga in Denver that consumed the first five months of the 2010-11 season until Ujiri finally dealt Anthony to the Knicks after All-Star Weekend.
Not that the above section should suggest that there is anything close to glee in Toronto just yet.
While the Raptors surely found some pleasure in prompting the Knicks to do a deal with them while the Knicks are also suing them, they were an unignorable 12-19 when the trade went down to rank as one of this season’s most disappointing first-half teams. Then they went out and lost in Detroit with a depleted roster Saturday night to become the first team beaten by the woebegone Pistons since Oct. 28.
Now the Raptors need a serious surge up the Eastern Conference standings to justify Ujiri’s approach after consistent word circulated last season that Anunoby would not be traded without Toronto getting back multiple first-round picks. The Raptors were no longer able to command that sort of haul with Anunoby months away from free agency and instead prioritized young players who can still grow (RJ Barrett is 23; Immanuel Quickley is 24) beside new Face of the Franchise Scottie Barnes.
That might prove to be the right strategy given the numerous underwhelming projections about the state of the 2024 NBA Draft that’s now less than six months away.
Yet it’s unequivocally show-us time in Toronto.
Saturday’s swap that sent Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to the Knicks for Barrett, Quickley and Detroit's 2024 second-round pick (which is expected to land at No. 31 in the June draft) has sparked two immediate questions leaguewide:
No. 1: Who will the Knicks target in their next trade after they successfully acquired the 3-and-D wing they've long coveted — Anunoby — without surrendering any of their eight available first-round picks or Evan Fournier’s very available trade-friendly contract? (New York has stockpiled four of its own first-rounders to trade and four firsts in upcoming drafts from Dallas, Detroit, Washington and Milwaukee.)
