Anunoby underwent surgery on his right elbow on February 8 to remove a loose bone fragment.
“There will be times where there will be pain,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He played until the end. He was fine. The doctor looked at him. There will be times when it gets hit and you just try to keep going.
The Knicks are 2-0 since Anunoby returned from his injury. They beat the Philadelphia 76ers on March 12 and beat the Portland Trail Blazers last night (3/14).
“It’s just painful,” Anunoby said. “Nothing happened. I just went to get a ball, and it randomly hurt, but it’s okay. I haven’t done it in a while. I’m just getting used to it. You can’t recreate this in return for playing and training.
The Knicks acquired Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors. They are 14-2 with the winger in the lineup.
One of the best defenders in the NBA, Anunoby is averaging 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocks in 16 games with the Knicks, who have a record 39-27 overall this season.
Anunoby is making $18.6 million this season. He can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason if he declines his 2024-25 player option worth $19.9 million.
According to an NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo SportsAnunoby could receive a contract reduction to remain with the Knicks, who sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
“Anunoby held meetings with several agencies this past offseason when he decided to leave Klutch Sports, telling potential representation that he was interested in a larger offensive role that would be commensurate with a salary of approximately 40 million in average annual value, league sources told Yahoo Sports,” Fischer wrote. “However, Anunoby left these potential agents with the impression that he would be willing to accept a smaller amount if he was landing in New York, sources said. And it’s pertinent to note that the Indiana product ultimately signed with CAA, which has deep ties to New York’s leadership.
Anunoby has career averages of 12.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks with the Raptors and Knicks. He helped Toronto win the 2019 championship against the Golden State Warriors in six games.
