Raptors will do "whatever it takes" to keep Anunoby: report
There’s one player in particular that the Toronto Raptors are going to do their best to hold on to, according to a new report.
The Raptors are not looking to trade OG Anunoby and will make a strong push to retain the player this upcoming summer per HoopsHype‘s Michael Scotto.
“NBA executives exploring the trade market for wings believe Toronto will do whatever it takes to keep Anunoby in free agency this summer after he formally declines his $19.93 million player option,” wrote Scotto in a piece for HoopsHype today.
As Scotto referred to, Anunoby has a player option worth just over $19 million in his contract for next season. He will almost certainly reject that option as he could fetch north of $30 million per season on the open market.
The Raptors can offer him a $117 million extension over four seasons. That’s an average annual value of $29.25 million, or still below what Anunoby could likely get on the open market. If he decides to test free agency, there could be teams willing to give the wing around $40 million per season.
The 26-year-old wing is in the midst of his seventh season for the Raptors. So far this year, he’s averaging 14.7 points, four rebounds, and 2.7 assists, all on 46.9% shooting. The versatile player is also a strong defender and was named to last year’s NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
He’s also a solid three-point shooter, knocking down 37.2% of his shots from long range so far this season. The combination of shooting and defence that Anunoby offers will have plenty of teams ready to open their wallets to acquire his services this summer.
The Raptors are stuck in the middle of the NBA’s standings and lacking true direction to some degree. They are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference with an 11-16 record.
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