OG Anunoby ran the fewest possessions of any Knicks starter last season and still shot 48.4 percent, guarded the other team's best scorer every night, and posted a plus-9.2 net rating doing it. Nothing about his job changes this season, and that's the point.
The Role
Anunoby doesn't hunt shots. Last season he used just 19.4 percent of Knicks possessions while on the floor, the lightest workload of anyone in the starting five, and still averaged 16.7 points over 33.2 minutes across 67 games. He shot 48.4 percent from the field doing it. New York doesn't need him to create offense. It needs him to finish what Brunson and the guards start, and he did that on schedule, night after night.
The Efficiency
He hit 38.6 percent from three on 6.1 attempts a game, and his true shooting mark landed at 62.0 percent, elite for a wing who isn't the first or second read in the offense. The Knicks scored at a 119.4 offensive rating with him on the court. That's a shooter's efficiency wrapped around a defender's job description.
The Defense
Scoring is the easy half of his resume. Anunoby logged 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks a game, and New York allowed just 110.2 points per 100 possessions with him out there. He draws the toughest perimeter assignment every series, and that job doesn't get lighter against Indiana or Miami, the two clubs that have already ended Knicks seasons.
The Deal
He's under contract through at least 2028-29, with a player option on that final year, earning $42.5 million now and climbing to $45.4 million next season. That's starter money for a player whose stat line rarely makes the headline. The front office is paying for stability at both ends, not volume.
What He Needs To Be
Anunoby doesn't need a bigger role to matter. He needs to repeat exactly what he did last season: guard the toughest matchup, knock down the open three, and let Brunson, Towns and Bridges eat the possessions. On a roster built to defend a title, that quiet job is the job.
How much is OG Anunoby making with the Knicks?
Anunoby is set to earn $42.5 million in 2026-27, rising to $45.4 million the following season, with a player option for 2028-29 worth $48.4 million.
What does OG Anunoby need to do for the Knicks this season?
Repeat last season's two-way form: efficient scoring on a low share of the offense, paired with elite defense on the league's top wings.
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