NBA 2018 Rumors: Will Enes Kanter Leave New York Knicks in Free Agency?
The 2017 season brought a lot of changes to Turkish NBA Star Enes Kanter, chief among them his blockbuster trade to the New York Knicks as part of a deal to send Carmelo Anthony to the Thunder. With the big man coming into free agency this postseason, there's still another big change he might decide to make.
Measuring just an inch shy of 7 feet tall, Kanter is currently enjoying what is easily among his best seasons with the Knicks, in terms of performing on the floor. With an average of 14.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game as of this March, the big man has been a strong contributor to the team, as North Jersey noted.
The 26-year old veteran has been very business-like about it all.
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"It doesn't matter what your record is," Kanter said about his 2018 season numbers. "This team is paying you so you've got to go out there and earn that money and play hard every possession," he added.
"Not every game, every possession," he repeated for emphasis.
There's another business decision to be made after this season for the Knicks center, one that he has been familiar with when he was shipped off to New York as part of a package to get Carmelo Anthony moved over to Oklahoma.
For the 2018–19 season, Kanter will have to decide whether to opt-in for another year and get paid $18.6 million to stay in New York, or test free agency this upcoming postseason, as NJ.com pointed out.
The former looks to be more likely, especially with the league salary cap settling down to where an $18 million or so becomes hard to beat. Besides, the Knicks has become a familiar place for the Turkish player.
"They welcomed me. The organization and everything was so nice and amazing. I just feel so comfortable," Kanter said.
