O.G. Anunoby open to contract extension talks with Raptors

With the Toronto Raptors' season coming to an end Wednesday night, the narrative has quickly shifted to what moves the team will make this offseason.

One player at the centre of those discussions is O.G. Anunoby. During his end-of-season press conference on Thursday, the 25-year-old kept a positive outlook about his future in Toronto.

While he isn’t eligible for an extension until the fall, the question remains whether he has any interest in remaining a Raptor, especially considering the slew of reports that came out around the trade deadline outlining his penchant for a fresh start. Anunoby put those thoughts to bed — at least for the time being — with his show of affection for the team.

Anunoby said the Raptors have not offered him an extension yet but that if they did, he “would definitely talk to them,” while also lauding not only the organization and his teammates but the city of Toronto as a whole.

When asked about his thoughts on the season in general, both from a team and individualistic standpoint, Anunoby said he was happy with his growth as a player but that the team’s plan simply didn’t pan out as they would have hoped.

“I think it was a good season,” Anunoby said. “From start to finish, I got a lot better and that’s the goal every season, to finish better than you started. So, individually I think I got better.”

When asked why things didn't pan out for the Raptors this season, Anunoby said “Don't have a why, just stuff doesn’t go as planned sometimes.”

In typical Anunoby fashion, he spoke for a total of 90 seconds during his 13-minute presser.

Anunoby was at centre of Raptors trade deadline rumours

The only salient move that Toronto made at the trade deadline was acquiring former Raptor Jakob Poeltl. However, that doesn’t mean other moves weren’t at play, particularly surrounding Anunoby.

According to reports, the defensive stalwart wanted out of Toronto, which was well known around the league. Anunoby swiftly denied these rumours, stating that storylines like these are out of his control and it’s pointless to get angry over them.

“No, it doesn’t bother me,” Anunoby said in January. “What can I do about it? I didn’t tell anyone to do that story or say whatever. It’s not my choice for whatever is going on to be going on. I can’t control it, so what’s the point of being mad about it?”

It’s no surprise that a multitude of teams were vying for Anunoby’s services, with some offering as much as three first-round picks for him. Not only did he lead the league in steals per game (1.9) and is likely to make an All-Defensive team, but he expanded his overall offensive arsenal as well.

In 67 games this season, Anunoby averaged 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. Toronto's first-round pick (23rd overall) in 2017, Anunoby has one year remaining on his contract, plus a player option for 2024-25. He signed a four-year, $72 million extension with the Raptors in 2020.