If he ever spoke, there are several reasons Leon Rose could justify, or celebrate, his OG Anunoby trade. 

But he doesn’t talk. 

So we’ll speak for him. 

The first obvious benefit is Anunoby’s defense, providing the Knicks with a big and strong “mugging presence,” as one scout called it, to guard the opposition’s top wing threat.

The other plus is spacing the floor with his 3-point shot, allowing Jalen Brunson and especially Julius Randle more room to operate in the paint. 

(A potential drawback that is not discussed enough is Anunoby’s durability, or lack thereof. He hasn’t played more than 69 games in the last four seasons, while twice finishing in the 40s. That part is not a good match with Tom Thibodeau.) 

The third bonus is alleviating the rotation crunch that had become an issue in the locker room, the consequence of a roster construction that included too many guards and players who required the ball in their hands. 

Now, without Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, there will be greater responsibility on Brunson and Randle to produce, especially in crunch time, which was an issue Monday when the offense sputtered in the fourth quarter (they held on to beat the Timberwolves despite scoring only 18 points in the final period). 

Regardless, Brunson, Randle and Anunoby can’t be expected to make up all the points and minutes that departed to Toronto by themselves.

The Knicks also need elevation from their role players, with these four in particular: 

Grimes wanted a bigger role. He should get it now. 

After pushing to go to the second unit for more opportunities with the ball, Grimes will remain there but with greater responsibility because neither Quickley nor Barrett will be on the floor to dominate the offense. 

Depending on how the rotation shakes out, Grimes could become the top playmaker on the floor for short stretches. 

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He’s confident. 

“Everybody knows what I can do when I have that opportunity given to me,” Grimes said. 

Grimes’ 10 points on Monday represented his highest total since Dec. 11. 

The ’Nova guard was already on the upswing before the trade, settling into the starting lineup after starting the season on the bench.

His role probably won’t change drastically, but the minutes should increase with added responsibility to score. 

This is DiVincenzo’s chance to show he’s worth the $50 million contract he signed in the summer.

And whether or not his shot is falling, there will be an expectation DiVincenzo does DiVincenzo things: Cut without the ball. Hit open shots. Crash the glass sometimes. Anticipate steals on defense. 

The departure of Quickley left McBride as the first backup point guard, transitioning to a three-year contract extension and his first real opportunity of the season. 

The minutes won’t be plentiful and defense is non-negotiable. That’s his bread-and-butter but McBride still needs improvement in staying in front of his man after the first dribble. 

Offensively, the shot has kept McBride off the floor and he missed all three attempts over seven minutes in the Timberwolves game. 

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This is McBride’s next big chance, and now he has the security of a three-year guaranteed deal. 

You may be asking, why is the starting center on this list? 

It’s because of a comment from Thibodeau, who declared unprompted after the trade in the context of the offense, “I want to utilize Isaiah a little bit more.” 

Hartenstein has always possessed the passing skills to command the ball more often — something that he utilized with the Clippers and now might get the chance to showcase again in a contract year. 

Also, the addition of Precious Achiuwa won’t eat much into Hartenstein’s minutes, if at all.

It’s a huge role barring another trade or the return of Mitchell Robinson, with opportunities for more playmaking responsibilities in the offense. 

“In a situation where their defense is blitzing [our pick-and-rolls], and even though [Hartenstein] is on the weakside, I want him flashing to the middle,” Thibodeau said. “And we can play off that.”