NBA Rumors: OG Anunoby Will Rebuff Raptors' Contract Extension, Eyes 2024 Free Agency

Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby reportedly plans to enter free agency next summer and will not agree to a long-term contract extension.

Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein reported the Raptors' maximum possible extension—four years, $117 million—will not be enough to convince Anunoby to skip out on free agency. The 26-year-old has been a consistent subject of trade rumors that will likely persist throughout the 2023-24 regular season.

Anunoby averaged 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and led the NBA with 1.9 steals per game last season. He was named to his first All-Defensive Team in 2023, continuing to emerge as one of the league's most valuable 3-and-D talents.

The Raptors are facing a crossroads with their current core. They already saw Fred VanVleet leave in free agency this summer and replaced him with Dennis Schroder, a noticeable downgrade.

Anunoby and Pascal Siakam can become free agents next summer and are among the top options who seem gettable for teams with cap space. Several teams are expected to have significant cap space next summer, a deviation from recent offseasons where the available space has been limited.

Barring a catastrophic injury, Anunoby is not risking anything by allowing his contract to play out. When the likes of Dillon Brooks are signing contracts for $86 million over four years, Anunoby should be able to command a starting salary of at least $30 million per season.

Anunoby also has the option of accepting his $19.9 million player option for 2024-25 if things go awry.