The New York Knicks were extremely active ahead of the NBA trade deadline, acquiring Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons in a blockbuster trade.
This came roughly five weeks after front office head Leon Rose brought in former Toronto Raptors star OG Anunoby in another blockbuster trade.
The two deals were also connected. Anunoby suffered a right elbow injury back on Jan. 27 against the Miami Heat. He has missed the past five games.
We now have an update on the forward’s status. It’s not great for the Knicks. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Anunoby had surgery to remove a loose bone fragment in his right elbow. He’ll reportedly miss at least the next three weeks.
- OG Anunoby stats (w/ New York Knicks): 15.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 52% shooting, 39% 3-point
This could be a crucial blow for the Knicks when it comes to playoff seeding in the Eastern Conference. They won 12 of 14 games with Anunoby in the lineup since acquiring him from Toronto in late-December. New York currently sits at 33-18 and as the fourth seed in the conference.
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New York Knicks trade additions help mitigate Anunoby’s absence
It’s clear that Rose and Co. have seeding in mind moving forward into the second half of the season. By acquiring Bogdanović and Burks ahead of the deadline, the Knicks have added wing depth. It helps makes up for Anunoby’s absence.
While Bogdanović won’t make up for his defense, the veteran is averaging 20.2 points on 42% from distance on the season. Burks is also shooting over 40% from the three-point line.
Assuming Anunoby is able to return for the stretch run, the Knicks’ depth was greatly improved for an anticipated playoff appearance. That’s for sure.