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According to reports, the Toronto Raptors have exercised the 2020-21 team option on the contract of small forward OG Anunoby.
The Raptors have picked up their 2020-21 team option on OG Anunoby, sources tell @ShamsCharania and me.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) October 4, 2019
No surprise here. This was largely a no-brainer as Anunoby looks to step into a larger role and a potential breakout year.
This keeps Anunoby’s contract under the Raptors control for two more seasons, and beyond, as he’ll enter restricted free agency in the summer of 2021.
Anunoby, as we all know by now, had a rock-solid rookie season in 2017-18, where he quickly emerged as the team’s starting small forward; he went on to start 62 games (plus another 10 in the playoffs), and averaged 5.9 points (on .587 true shooting) and 2.5 rebounds in 20 minutes a night.
His sophomore season, though, was a tough one, as — on top of losing his starting role to Kawhi Leonard — he took a personal leave early on to deal with a death in the family, endured minor injuries throughout the year, and finally went down for good with appendicitis before the end of the regular season. He didn’t play a minute in Toronto’s historic playoff run.
And now? He’s got a huge opportunity on the 2019-20 Raptors; in addition to not having to worry about his 2020-21 contract, he’s got a clean slate, he’s healthy in camp by all accounts, Leonard is no longer in front of him, and pretty much everyone on the team, from management on down, is talking about how they foresee a breakout year from him.
Much like Pascal Siakam this summer, Anunoby will now be eligible for an extension next summer; if that doesn’t come to fruition, he’ll enter restricted free agency in the summer of 2021.
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