The consensus is that the OG Anunoby-RJ Barrett-Immanuel Quickley trade was won by the New York Knicks.
For the Knicks, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton gave the transaction an A-. Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report graded the Knicks a B+.
But the critical judgment of the rest of the NBA regarding Barrett is the most validating opinion that throws a light on this current Knicks head office’s shrewdness.
“I’ve always said if there’s a continuum of RJ Barrett optimism and pessimism—and over here on the pessimistic side is like, ‘He just stinks, he’s a toxic asset.’ And that is a word that got thrown around yesterday in my conversations with front office people and coaches—toxic asset. Like you’re swallowing his contract,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe revealed during the January 1 episode of “The Lowe Post” podcast.
Lowe said Barrett is a “jack of all trades but a master of none” which he likes. But it’s for the same reason that also made him a “toxic asset” relative to his $107 million, four-year extension.
The Raptors had to swallow Barrett’s contract in order to get Quickley, who could be the best player in the deal in the long run. The Knicks were able to get rid of the “toxic asset” without sacrificing one of their eight transferable first-round picks thanks to their Canadian links.
‘I’m Coming Home, Baby!’
Barrett, the third overall choice in the deal, is 23 years old and has the potential to rebuild his reputation in his hometown.
During the player introductions, the sellout crowd of 19,800 roared for Barrett, who was born in Toronto.
This was special,” Barrett told reporters. “Way better than any other time I’ve played here. This was a special one that I’ll always appreciate.”
“[The crowd reaction] meant a lot. I’m the hometown kid and just coming in and trying to get a win for the fans, trying to win for the country, it felt great.”
Barrett had a winning debut with the Raptors, draining clutch free throws in a 124-121 win over Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 1.
Yet the box scores painted a mixed result.
Barrett finished one short of a double-double (19 points and 9 rebounds) but only had 1 assist against 5 turnovers. He was a team-worst minus-7.
