The New York Knicks might not have to be without swingman OG Anunoby much longer.
Fred Katz of The Athletic reported this weekend that the 26-year-old, who underwent elbow surgery earlier this month, will be reevaluated “around March 1” and could resume “on-court activities not long after.”
Following his procedure, it was initially reported that Anunoby would miss at least three weeks after loose bone fragments were found in his right elbow. A March 1 reevaluation meets that timeline to near perfection.
Should he get a clean bill of health and the greenlight to return within the next two weeks, the Knicks will have one of their most important spark plugs for the final stretch of the 2023-24 regular season — ensuring he’ll be at full speed for the postseason.
Anunoby was acquired from the Toronto Raptors in late December where his arrival jump-started a Knicks team toward elite status in the Eastern Conference. In his first 14 games with the team, New York went 12-2 before he was sidelined with what was originally described as elbow inflammation. The Knicks won their next two games to finish January with a 14-2 record — their most wins in a month in 30 years.
Across those 14 games, Anunoby averaged 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game on 39.1% shooting from three-point range while providing stifling defense.
His absence has been just one of numerous issues the Knicks have been dealing with. Julius Randle has been sidelined since late January after suffering a dislocated shoulder. While they avoided an injury scare with Jalen Brunson after he missed just one game following a sprained ankle, Mitchell Robinson is out for the season, Donte DiVincenzo, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Isaiah Hartenstein all missed New York’s last game before the All-Star break with injuries.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau disclosed, however, that the latter trio should be ready to go on the other side of the break, which begins on Thursday in Philadelphia against the 76ers.
