Why the dominoes might be falling for Knicks to complete roster with OG Anunoby trade

The Knicks’ roster is screaming for a big wing.

A lockdown defender. A court spacer. Someone who complements co-stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle and makes it more difficult for opposing teams to pack the paint and swarm the two.

That player wasn’t readily available on the free-agent market, and even if he would have been, the Knicks didn’t have the salary-cap flexibility to sign him.

But he could be attainable.

We’re talking about OG Anunoby, the Raptors wing who has only one year left on his contract and recently joined CAA, the agency closely aligned with Leon Rose and the Knicks.

It feels like the perfect match, if the Raptors plan on moving the 6-foot-7 Anunoby — a big if. For now, they have resisted engaging with teams, Michael Grange of Sportsnet in Canada reported this week.

But dominoes may be falling to make it a realistic possibility.

The Raptors lost star point guard Fred VanVleet to the Rockets in free agency.

NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote that the Raptors are in talks with the Pacers about trading forward Pascal Siakam, a free agent-to-be like Anunoby.

Plus, Toronto just used its first-round pick on Kansas one-and-done sharpshooter Gradey Dick, who plays the same position as the 25-year-old Anunoby.

The Knicks have two different players they can build a deal around in Immanuel Quickley and Toronto native RJ Barrett.

Quickley could be the Raptors’ point guard of the present and future.

Barrett is only 23 years old, is still improving and would be the hometown hero returning to his roots. He is also on a very affordable four-year, $107 million contract. The Post’s Mike Vaccaro suggested the Knicks consider using Barrett to obtain the Raptors forward.

The Knicks could round out a trade package with draft picks or possibly Evan Fournier’s expiring contract.

The Knicks’ recent signing of Donte DiVincenzo and trade of Obi Toppin to the Pacers has created a glut of guards and small wings that many experts have speculated positions Rose to make a significant move.

The NBA is a wing’s league, and the Knicks are very thin at that critical position. They struggled defending big wings last season and in getting much offense from that spot, too.

While DiVincenzo improves their 3-point shooting — he shot a career-best 39.7 percent from distance last season — the Knicks still could use more help in that area. They  shot a collective 29.2 percent from long range during the postseason, the worst among playoff teams. The Heat basically dared them to shoot from deep, a major part of Miami’s series victory in six games.

The 23rd overall pick in the 2017 draft, Anunoby has seen his stock steadily rising as he has improved each season.

Each of the past three seasons, he has averaged at least 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, 1.5 steals and shot 36.3 percent from 3-point range.

Anunoby produced a plus-three net rating this past season — the Raptors outscored the opposition by three points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor — and he was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive second team. He led the sport in steals per game with 1.9, and also recorded 0.7 blocks per game.

Anunoby is young, dynamic at both ends of the floor and fills a major need. Now the Knicks have to find a way to pry him away from the Raptors.

Sparse summer

There was a marked difference in the Knicks’ summer league team this year, and it wasn’t just the composition of the roster.

It also included the spectators across from the bench.

Only one current Knicks player, Isaiah Hartenstein, attended a game, and he only was in attendance for the opener and not the other two contests.

It was very different from last July, when several Knicks were in Sin City to catch the team.

Now, last year’s roster included rotation players such as Quentin Grimes, Miles McBride and Jericho Sims. This year’s summer league team likely doesn’t have anyone who will see meaningful minutes with the Knicks.

There is not much interest. It has been evident in the team’s play — the Knicks are 1-2 — and in the support it has received.

The Jalen Duren what-if

The Knicks’ decision to trade out of the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft was mostly forgotten because they ended up with Brunson and won their first playoff series in a decade.

But they may have missed out on a quality player when they sent Jalen Duren (13th overall) to the Pistons while unloading Kemba Walker’s contract.

The 6-foot-11 Duren enjoyed a strong rookie year, averaging 9.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game, and he has continued to stand out during summer league. In two games, Duren averaged 19 points and nine rebounds.

Though Duren is very similar to Mitchell Robinson in that he’s a rim-protecting center who can’t shoot from the perimeter, he would’ve been a much cheaper option — Robinson signed a four-year, $60 million deal to remain with the Knicks last summer — and is only 19 years old.

Another player linked to the Knicks in the 2022 draft, versatile wing Tari Eason, has been really impressive in Las Vegas.

Selected No. 17 by the Rockets, the 6-foot-8 Eason is averaging 23 points, 9.5 rebounds, four assists and three blocks for the Rockets, showcasing his way-way potential on the wing, a position where the Knicks are thin.