Recent New York Knicks rumors involve center Enes Kanter, who may have made a decision about his 2018-19 player option.
With the New York Knicks‘ 2017-18 season over, Knicks rumors are going to begin picking up. New York already has a lot on its plate before the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs is even over, as the front office fired head coach Jeff Hornacek after the last game of the regular season.
Finding a new head coach will be the first task to accomplish. After that, the Knicks’ focus will turn to improving the roster for the 2018-19 season. For a team that is essentially capped out, it won’t be easy to make many additions. The 2018 NBA Draft will provide the easiest avenue to add talent.
However, the Knicks’ offseason plans could be changed by some player options. Ron Baker, Kyle O’Quinn and Enes Kanter all have player options for the 2018-19 season. If they all opted out of their contracts, the Knicks would have some money to spend. The player that most eyes will be on is Kanter.
Kanter’s option for next season would make him the highest-paid player on the team. His option is worth $18.6 million, according to Basketball-Reference. Because of that, it seemed that Kanter would be a lock to pick up the option on his contract. However, things have changed in the last year.
When asked by reporters recently, Kanter revealed that he is leaning towards opting out of his deal. He would forgo the $18.6 million in hopes of landing a long-term deal, ideally with the Knicks, with more security.
Enes Kanter says he wants to be in New York long term. Says it's accurate to say he's leaning toward opting out of his $18.6 million player option to seek a longer-term deal.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) April 12, 2018
Kanter has not been shy about sharing his feelings. He loves New York and the fans took to him in his first season with the organization. It isn’t a surprise that he wants to remain in New York, but does the team feel the same way?
Kanter is obviously a productive player. In just 25.8 minutes per game, Kanter averaged 14.1 points and 11.0 rebounds. He also added a career-high 1.5 assists per game.
Kanter doesn’t bring much in the form of defensive stats, but his +14 rating when comparing his offensive and defensive rating was the best on the team. O’Quinn was second at +13.
Kanter’s 108 defensive rating was the same number that Kristaps Porzingis, a noted rim protector, had this season. The 122 offensive rating Kanter registered was by far the highest on the team and 15th in the NBA.
There is no doubt that Kanter was productive this season. He was a gamer for the Knicks, playing through numerous injuries for the betterment of the team. However, there are questions about whether New York should commit to him long-term.
The Knicks are not ready to contend as currently built. Can they afford to commit long-term money to Kanter, even if it means lowering his cap hit for the 2018-19 season? One thing to keep in mind is that the team has Kanter’s Bird Rights, so they can retain him without using their mid-level exception.
While Kanter seems to have a decision in mind, his agent, Mark Bartelstein, walked back his client’s comments, saying it is still very early in the process.
"All the speculation with Enes is premature. There's a ton of due diligence that has to be done. The season just ended. We're not leaning one way or the other right now. We'll go through that process over the next couple of months." - agent Mark Bartelstein tells @SNYtv https://t.co/HzGWPIrxzO
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 12, 2018
There is still a lot of time between now and when Kanter has to make an official decision on his player option. While he seems to enjoy New York, a lot could change between now and then.
The Knicks will have a new head coach by the time free agency rolls around and there will be new youngsters on the roster from the NBA Draft. If the new coach is someone that Kanter doesn’t like, or if New York drafts a center, Kanter may not want to remain there long-term.
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It is something we will have to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months. The Knicks could have Joakim Noah as the only center on the roster heading into the offseason if Kanter and O’Quinn opt out. That is not something New York wants to happen.