Should The Oklahoma City Thunder Match Portland’s Offer For Enes Kanter?

The Cons

Unfortunately for Kanter, his woeful defense could be the very thing that prevents the Thunder from being a legitimate title contender in 2015-16, which, by extension, could lead to a free agency departure for Durant next summer. Oklahoma’s free agency clock with Durant may very well have synchronized with however much time is left on the clock before the Thunder’s playoff exit next season.

It’s not that Kanter’s defense is bad. It’s that it’s SO bad that the Thunder are bleeding points whenever he’s on the floor. When Kanter was on the court, OKC surrendered 110.4 points per 100 possessions. Even when he shared the floor with Serge Ibaka, one of the best defenders in the league, the Thunder still gave up 107.5 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com.

Before the Kanter trade, the Thunder were the 10th best defense in the league, posting a defensive rating of 101.0 points per 100 possessions — and that’s with Durant out for most of that time. Once Kanter joined Oklahoma City, that number skyrocketed to 107.0 points per 100 possessions — making the Thunder the fourth worst defense in the league. The Thunder’s defense went from top 10 to bottom five just like that.

It’s not just that Kanter doesn’t know how to play defense, it’s that he often doesn’t even appear to be trying. Westbrook might love working the pick-and-roll with him, and OKC’s defensive numbers may have been better with a healthy Durant on the floor. But what happens come playoff time when the Thunder need a stop and can’t get one because Kanter’s unable to protect the basket or defend a simple pick-and-roll?

Don’t forget, this Thunder team built its contender status on its defense, not its offense. Kanter doesn’t fit in with that dynamic, no matter how many stat sheet stuffing double-doubles he posts. It’s hard to argue for his value when, for all his offensive prowess, the team was STILL getting outscored with him on the floor overall:

There are also the salary cap ramifications to consider. The argument can be made that with a core of Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka and Kanter, the Thunder won’t need future cap space, so why worry about going over? That may be true, but is Kanter on a max deal a great backup plan if Durant leaves next summer?

And why not be prepared for next summer when the salary cap skyrockets? The strong could easily become stronger, but not with the Thunder essentially having to pay $40 million to keep a one-sided player like Kanter around.

Next: The Kevin Durant Factor