OG Anunoby is returning to the Knicks in a huge deal.
The 3-D forward has agreed to a five-year, $212.5 million contract that includes a player option for the final season, according to ESPN.
Anunoby, 26, carried significant leverage in negotiations and clearly demonstrated it before agreeing to the largest contract in franchise history.
The total amount and average salary shattered the Knicks’ previous record, set by Carmelo Anthony and Julius Randle.
It also further complicates the path to re-signing Isaiah Hartenstein, who will hit the unrestricted free agency phase on Monday.
If no other trades are completed, the Knicks will be limited by the pending Mikal Bridges trade and can only offer Hartenstein a deal well below his value.
A trade could still be made before free agency to free up cap space or relieve the cap, but Hartenstein’s return clearly took a back seat to Anunoby’s negotiations.
The Knicks were working from a disadvantage after trading two of their best young players — RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley — to acquire him from the Raptors in December.
Leon Rose couldn’t lose him for nothing.
So he kept Anunoby for over $200 million.
Concerns have been reported, whether true or fictitious, about Anunoby leaving in free agency for the Sixers.
However, league sources had stated for weeks that Anunoby’s re-signing was a certainty.
He is also represented by CAA, the agency closely associated with the Knicks.
However, Anunoby’s big contract reinforces concerns about his long injury history.
He hasn’t reached 70 games since his rookie campaign in 2017-18.
He did not exceed 50 games in three of the past four seasons, and he missed 27 games with the Knicks last season due to an elbow injury that required surgery.
Anunoby then pulled a hamstring in the playoffs and sat out most of the second round, which ended with the Knicks falling in seven games to the Pacers.
It is unclear if there are any gaming-specific terms included in Anunoby’s agreement.
Next season, Anunoby will join Bridges as the best defensive wing duo in the NBA, rivaled only by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George with the Clippers.
It’s a solid defensive foundation to take on Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the current kings of the Eastern Conference — and the NBA.
Barring another preseason earthquake, the Knicks’ lineup will include Anunoby, Bridges, Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle — a quartet built to compete for a championship.
The central mode is more complex.
Before the Bridges deal, the Knicks could re-sign Hartenstein for four years, up to a maximum of $72.5 million.
But that’s off the table barring a massive restructuring, and Hartenstein is expected to get a strong offer in free agency, with the OKC Thunder and Orlando Magic showing interest.
This would leave Mitchell Robinson as the Knicks’ top center.
He is among the best offensive players in the NBA — if not the best — but he has also been injury-prone and has undergone two ankle surgeries.
In August, Brunson became eligible for a maximum extension of four years, worth $156 million.
