Enes Kanter is outspoken, has a huge social media following, despises the Turkish government and cannot play defense all that well. In some corners of the NBA, he is considered a “bad chemistry” guy. He goes after superstars on social media.
But for all those real or imagined negatives, there is one thing that cannot be denied: Kanter is one of the league’s premiere rebounders.
There is also no denying this: The New York Knicks are trying to trade him.
As always, it is a buyer’s market when it comes to a player that the entire NBA knows is on the trading block, so the Knicks are not exactly being overwhelmed with great offers. Also, New York is taking the public posture that none of the young talent on the team is available, nor will any future draft picks be included.
Kanter told reporters in Denver following the Knicks’ 8th straight loss that he has not asked to be traded. He revealed that he had a sitdown with Scott Perry, the Knicks’ chief executive.
“I even asked Scott: ‘If you were in my situation, what would you do?’'” Kanter said. “He said, ‘the whole league knows you. Right now, we know that you are a very, very good basketball player. Now I want you to go out there and try to have that good character, try to be a good teammate, and try to help all the people.’ I understand we’re not winning a lot right now. But I guess it’s all for the young guys.”
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“I did not ask for a trade, no,” Kanter said. “I did not say, ‘Scott, try and trade me.’ No I did not say that, because I like it here a lot.
“But again, in the end, we all are competitors, basketball players. I like it here so much, but again I want to win. I want this team to get to the playoffs one day. This is my blood, man, I’m sorry.”
At this point, there are two questions: Will the Knicks just try to get rid of him and take on a reclamation project? If so, Jabari Parker can ditch all of red sneakers and go shopping for blue and gold. A Bulls-Knicks trade involving those two players makes more sense for New York than Chicago, but the Bulls may feel they would be able to re-trade Kanter prior to Feb. 7.
But what about good teams? Especially teams in the West that are going to have to deal with brute forces such as Steven Adams and Nikola Jokic.
Where would Kanter be a good fit?
Here are a few ideas:
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS – A person close to Kanter told GetMoreSports that the idea was briefly kicked around by the Clippers, who weren’t initially all that enamored with the idea. If they acquire a center, rim protection would be the No. 1 skill set they would be looking for. Montrezl Harrell is dominating other backups, and Kanter would presumably move into the starting lineup because Marcin Gortat would be dealt away (unless it was a three-team deal involving the Sacramento Kings, who can broker almost anything.
If the Clippers and Knicks make small adjustments to their negotiating positions, here is what a deal might look like:
SACRAMENTO KINGS – The last thing these guys need is another big — one would think. But the Kings have somehow managed to make themselves pretty darn good, and Kanter would fit in nicely as a backup behind Willie-Cauley Stein. What Sacramento wants in any deal is draft considerations (a wing player would be nice, too), and if the Knicks will not budge on that, nothing is going to happen here.
But should the Knicks budge …
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS – What you see below in the NBA Trade Machine would not constitute every piece of this deal, because draft picks would be heading from Philadelphia to Sacramento. The Sixers are sitting on no less than 10 second-round draft picks in the next three drafts. The Kings would get some, and the Knicks would get at least one. Problem is, coach Brett Browes currently likes Jonah Bolden to the point where the young Australian has replaced Amir Johnson as the backup. Philly might be interested if Kanter is a February free-agent post-buyout.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS — We all wrote them off for dead, yet they keep knocking off quality teams, the latest being the Boston Celtics. And their braintrust, R.C. Buford and Gregg Popovich, knows how to pick off low-hanging fruit. The screenshot pictured sucks for the Bulls because it does not include draft picks. And, San Antonio is sitting on Toronto’s Top 20-protected pick for 2019. If the Bulls could acquire the better of that pick or San Antonio’s pick, it would help mitigate the absorption of Gasol’s contract, which includes another year and $20 million (only $6.7 guaranteed) and could conceivably be subsequently traded elsewhere through Sacramento.
BROOKLYN NETS — They are very happy with Ed Davis as their backup center behind Jarrett Allen, or so they say. But they are coming off a strong December, they have a very realistic shot at making the playoffs, and at a certain point Sean Marks has to put a piece or two around Spencer Dinwiddie to make the BK a desirable destination for free agents. The Nets and Knicks almost never make trades because of the crosstown rivalry, but if the ‘Bockers are selling for pennies on the dollar, this deal makes sense:
Which deal has the best chance of happening? Just one man’s opinion, but San Antonio and Brooklyn make the most sense — but the Nets deal would be more easily done.
FROM MONDAY: PODCAST WITH STEVE POPPER OF NEWSDAY ON POSSIBLE ENES KANTER TRADE DESTINATIONS
