Enes Kanter made an appearance in Oklahoma City for the Thunder’s first-round series against the Jazz. A former member of both the Thunder and Jazz, Kanter said he was there to support his friends and enjoy the game. The Turkish big man also addressed his opt-out, which he is likely to exercise and hit free agency this summer.
Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that Kanter’s opt-out date is on June 29, at which point his future will be clearer. Kanter enjoyed a strong season with the Knicks, averaging 14.1 PPG and 11.0 RPG as New York struggled to another poor season. Kanter said he’s unsure what his future holds but he will talk with teams this offseason. He also spoke glowingly of his time in Oklahoma City.
“Man, I don’t wanna say nothing crazy and make the New York fans sad, but this place [was] always special for me,’’ Kanter said of OKC. “It doesn’t matter — 10, 15 years from now — it’s gonna always be in my heart, because it actually was my first home, Oklahoma City. I was just outside. Everybody was yelling. I can’t tell you how often I get texted, ‘Enes! Come back! You should come back! Come back!’ Whatever. I think it just shows how nice the Thunder fans are.”
Check out more Knicks notes below:
- David Blatt met with the Knicks in Europe on Thursday, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. It was Blatt’s second interview with the Knicks. The former Cavaliers head coach is one of several candidates for the Knicks’ search to fill their vacant head coach position.
- As we relayed earlier today, Blatt is seeking another opportunity in the NBA as he feels he did not maximize his potential during his first stint in Cleveland.
- After Mike Budenholzer‘s mutual parting with the Hawks, general manager Travis Schlenk gave a strong endorsement for the coach and wished him well, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Budenholzer has already interviewed with the Knicks and he reportedly prefers to land the gig in New York. The Knicks are mulling over numerous candidates, but with Bundeholzer no longer employed by the Hawks, New York wouldn’t have to compensate Atlanta for his services.
“…made an appearance in Oklahoma City for Game of the Thunder’s…”
Were you going to write ‘Game of Thrones’ and realized it was a basketball article?
Kanter can’t have a Twitter or Facebook account, dude will write a million statuses a day.