“Don’t know if it’s going to work”: Quickley was uncertain of Raptors trade
Immanuel Quickley was just as shocked as everyone else when the news came across on December 30 about the blockbuster trade between the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks.
The 24-year-old guard was one of five players on the move on December 30, with Toronto sending OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to New York in exchange for Quickley, RJ Barrett, and a second-round draft pick.
In an article for The Players’ Tribune, Quickley opened up about his thoughts on the deal and admitted that it was quite the emotional roller coaster hearing about the move.
“It’s been one of the craziest weeks in my life, for real. I won’t lie, when I first heard where I was headed, I was like, ‘I don’t know if it’s going to work. Who’s gonna be there? Where am I going to live?’ I just didn’t know anything. I’m literally kind of still in that moment right now, where I just don’t know,” Quickley admitted. “The other day, I was in Toronto, I was hungry, and I had no idea where to go eat, you know what I’m saying?”
While on the road with the team in Indiana, Quickley got a text from his agent Raymond Brothers that informed him he was on the move.
“It didn’t even feel real. It was like I was in a dream or something,” Quickley said.
Quickley fired off a cryptic post on X shortly after the move, simply stating “Oh my goodness…” right after the news broke.
Oh my goodness….
— Immanuel Jaylen Quickley (@IQ_GodSon) December 30, 2023
But things have worked out well for him in Toronto so far. Quickley has averaged 19.2 points, 6.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds since debuting for the Raptors, starting all six games after coming off the bench for all of his appearances in New York this year.
Rest assured, the uneasiness Quickley felt initially seems to be fading fast, as he added that he’s learning to “embrace the uncertainty” on his new team and “see the bigger picture” of why both teams made the trade.
“The culture here is amazing. I would assume just from what I’ve seen, this has got to be one of the best organizations in the league as far as togetherness. Everybody’s really just one big family for real,” Quickley added. “It’s really cool to see and be a part of. Knowing that they really wanted me here makes everything a lot easier. I just want the Raptors fans to know, if you’re reading this, I wouldn’t want to start my next chapter anywhere else.”
Follow Channels and Categories