The Knicks haven't even laced up for training camp yet, and the OG Anunoby discourse is already running at midseason volume. That's what happens when you're a cornerstone of New York's first NBA championship in more than half a century — and the basketball world still can't quite figure out what to make of you.
Anunoby, who played his college ball at Indiana, was one of the defining players of the Knicks' 2025–26 title run. His Game 4 tip-in — now famous enough to get roasted at the Emmys, where host Mariska Hargitay took a playful jab at Jalen Brunson about it during a pre-taped segment — helped close out the championship series. For a fanbase that waited 50-plus years, it was the kind of moment that gets bronzed.
So naturally, his name is already appearing in trade proposals.
The Trade Buzz That Won't Quit
Even with the trophy barely unpacked, Heavy Sports reported that the Knicks have been proposed a deal centered on Anunoby in exchange for a 16-time All-Star — a package that signals just how highly the rest of the league values the Indiana alum. New York has given no indication it wants to move him, but the fact that offers are materializing this early in the offseason speaks to Anunoby's currency around the league.
It also speaks to a persistent problem: despite being a champion, Anunoby continues to operate in something of a respect deficit. Heavy Sports noted he's already received what they called "disrespectful news" heading into his title defense — a reminder that naysayers are slow learners when it comes to this particular Knick.
The Case for a Leap
Yahoo Sports made the argument this week that Anunoby is actually poised to elevate his game in 2026–27, framing him as still-underappreciated despite his central role in the title. The logic is straightforward: he was one of the main reasons the Knicks won, his two-way value is elite, and with a year of championship experience now baked in, a level-up seems more likely than regression.
The Knicks are clearly betting on exactly that. The front office moved quickly this offseason to reinforce the roster around Brunson and Anunoby, reportedly signing a high-motor veteran to a seven-year, $21 million deal — a move framed explicitly as giving the two stars the supporting cast to run it back.
The Bigger Picture for Hoosier Nation
For Indiana fans, Anunoby's trajectory is the headliner, but he's not the only IU alum active in the NBA. Thomas Bryant is suiting up for Cleveland, Eric Gordon and Jalen Hood-Schifino are both in Philadelphia, Trayce Jackson-Davis landed in Toronto, and Kel'el Ware is with Miami, among others. None are generating the kind of preseason noise Anunoby is — but that's the nature of being a champion in the league's biggest market.
The Knicks open training camp with a clear identity and a clear No. 1 target on their backs. Anunoby, the quiet engine of that championship run, will be at the center of it — whether the rest of the basketball world wants to give him credit or not.
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