Enes Freedom Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Enes Kanter Leaning Toward Declining Option?

April 12th, 2018 at 3:43pm CST by Luke Adams

3:43pm: Kanter’s new agent Mark Bartelstein walked back his client’s comments a little this afternoon, telling Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link) that it’s too soon to say what will happen with Kanter.

“All the speculation with Enes is premature,” Bartelstein said. “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.

2:05pm: A year ago, Knicks center Enes Kanter was viewed as a lock to eventually exercise his player option for 2018/19, but a strong season in New York has changed the equation. Asked today about that $18.6MM option, Kanter told reporters that he’s leaning toward turning it down, per ESPN’s Ian Begley (Twitter link).

While Kanter is interested in becoming an unrestricted free agent, that doesn’t mean he wants to leave the Knicks. The big man said today that if he declines his option, his goal would be to sign a long-term deal to remain in New York.

Given the lack of cap room around the NBA this summer, Kanter probably wouldn’t have the necessary leverage to match – or exceed – $18.6MM as the starting salary on a multiyear contract. However, even if he takes a pay cut for the 2018/19 season, gaining long-term security could make it worthwhile. For instance, if Kanter could land a deal worth $50MM over four years, his salary for next season would decrease, but he’d be in line for an additional $30MM+ in overall guaranteed money — he and his agent will have to make an effort to gauge the market prior to July to see what sort of offer they could reasonably expect.

Kanter, the key incoming piece for the Knicks in the trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to the Thunder, averaged a double-double in 2017/18, posting 14.1 PPG and 11.0 RPG in just 25.8 minutes per contest. The former third overall pick stood out in a crowded Knicks frontcourt, beating out Kyle O’Quinn, Joakim Noah, and Willy Hernangomez (before he was traded) to make 71 starts at center.

The Knicks hold Kanter’s Bird rights, so they won’t need to use cap room or its mid-level exception if they want to sign him to a new contract this offseason.

Knicks Notes: Kanter, O’Quinn, Vogel, Ntilikina

April 6th, 2018 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

While wrist and back issues have kept Enes Kanter out of action recently, he’d still like to return to action before the end of the season, suggesting this week that it would be “selfish” to shut himself down to focus on potential offseason free agency. As Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes, Kanter will face a decision this summer on an $18MM+ player option for 2018/19, but he’s putting that decision on the back-burner in the hopes of making it back for a couple late-season matchups against the Cavaliers.

“You’re always thinking the business part, but for me basketball comes first,” Kanter said. “We’ve got four games left and the Knicks are still paying me. The Knicks are paying for me to go out there and — if I’m healthy — to go out there to play. So if I feel really good, I’ll go out there and play.

“It’d be really selfish to think about opting in or opting out or thinking about my contract and not playing, giving up on my teammates and my team,” Kanter continued. “It’d be really selfish. For me the Knicks are still paying me, I’m still part of this team. If I’m still healthy I’m just going to go out there and fight.”

Here’s more out of New York:

Speaking of Kanter, some opposing executives have come away with the impression that the big man is leaning toward opting out in search of a multiyear deal this summer, says Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Begley also examines Kyle O’Quinn‘s impending free agency, exploring how likely New York is to re-sign O’Quinn after he turns down his own player option. According to Begley, Knicks coaches and executives think highly enough of O’Quinn that the club will consider bringing him back, depending on the price.
Current Magic head coach Frank Vogel admitted earlier this week that he thought he’d be hired by the Knicks in 2016, and was “surprised” when the team went in another direction, as Barbara Baker of Newsday details. “They said they had one more person they wanted to talk to before they wrapped up the process, and they met with Jeff [Hornacek], and Jeff must’ve blown them away,” Vogel said.
Hornacek spoke this week about Frank Ntilikina‘s development, and the next steps for the rookie point guard as he prepares for next season. Brian Lewis has the story and the quotes in an article for The New York Post.

New York Notes: Kanter, Lee, Russell, Allen

April 5th, 2018 at 1:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Despite starting the season with four centers, that could become a position of need for the Knicks this summer, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Enes Kanter has signed with Mark Bartelstein, one of the NBA’s most powerful agents, as he ponders whether to opt out of an $18.6MM salary for next season, adds Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.

Backup center Kyle O’Quinn has a $4.3MM opt out that he is expected to exercise, as he recently expressed a desire to join a playoff contender. Joakim Noah is on an extended leave of absence from the team, and Willy Hernangomez has already been traded to the Hornets. Berman expects the Knicks to use the stretch provision on Noah once September 1 arrives to open up future cap space.

There’s more today out of New York:

Trade rumors have surrounded veteran Courtney Lee, but he hopes to remain with the Knicks, relays Chris Iseman of NorthJersey.com. Lee doesn’t fit in with the youth movement in New York and may not have a future spot in a crowded backcourt. “All I can control is what I can control,” Lee said. “And that’s showing up here and being a professional and continuing to do the things I’ve been doing, encouraging and helping the young guys. And then when Coach calls my name, going out there and playing hard.”
Lee also came to the defense of embattled coach Jeff Hornacek, Iseman adds, blaming injuries for a disappointing season. The Knicks were 11-10 when Tim Hardaway Jr. suffered a stress injury to his left leg in late November, and Kristaps Porzingis tore his ACL shortly after Hardaway returned. “For what, injuries?” Lee responded when asked about Hornacek. “For Tim having a stress fracture? For KP going down? How do you blame coach for that?”
D’Angelo Russell understands the need to improve after mixed results in his first season with the Nets, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Russell averaged 15.4 points and 5.1 assists, but missed 32 games after knee surgery and did little to calm fears about his defense. “Yeah, it could be better. I think it’s just learning. I’m feeling it out,” said Russell, who will be eligible for an extension this summer. “Everything I’m doing is new, playing with new coaches, new teammates. Everything is new. So I think it’s a feeling-it-out type deal with me, so it could always be better.”
Rookie center Jarrett Allen has been a pleasant surprise for the Nets, but coach Kenny Atkinson wants him to improve as a rebounder, Lewis notes in a separate story. Allen averages 5.3 boards per night, which ranks 46th among centers.

Injury Notes: Gallinari, Ball, Nowitzki, Kanter

April 4th, 2018 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

Both Los Angeles teams may be without key players for the rest of the season, according to various reports. For the Clippers, Danilo Gallinari is once again back on the shelf. Having recently returned from an 18-game absence due to a hand injury, Gallinari re-aggravated that hand injury during a fall in Sunday’s game against Indiana.

According to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, the Clippers are simply calling Gallinari’s injury a sore right hand for now, and the forward will travel with the club for Thursday’s game in Utah. However, the club doesn’t expect to get Gallinari back during the regular season after his latest setback, Turner says.

Meanwhile, the Lakers will “most likely” be without rookie point guard Lonzo Ball for Wednesday’s game against San Antonio, per head coach Luke Walton. As Bill Oram of The Orange County Register details, Walton acknowledged that a left knee contusion could keep Ball sidelined for the rest of the season. “Could he play?” Walton said. “Probably, but with six games left we’re not going to put him back out there when his knee’s hurting like that. Wait until he’s all the way healthy – if that happens.”

Here are more injury updates from across the NBA:

Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek isn’t sure whether Enes Kanter – who is dealing with a back injury – will return to the court this season, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. If Kanter doesn’t make it back, it’s possible he has played his last game as a Knick, since he can opt out of his contract this offseason. However, the veteran center is considered a good bet to exercise that option.
Dirk Nowitzki didn’t accompany the Mavericks on their final road trip of the season as he battles a left ankle impingement, per Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. While Nowitzki could still join the team on the road trip or play in the regular season finale in Dallas, the lottery-bound Mavs may play it safe with the franchise icon and hold him out for their final four games. Nowitzki has said he hopes to play one more year in 2018/19.
Nets guard Isaiah Whitehead underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair the scapholunate ligament in his right wrist, the team announced in a press release. The procedure brought Whitehead’s second NBA season to an early end. He appeared in just 16 NBA contests this year after playing 73 in his rookie season.

Knicks Notes: Burke, O’Quinn, Kanter, Baker

March 26th, 2018 at 9:54pm CST by marksuleymanov

In his second start with the Knicks on Monday night, Trey Burke did something no Knicks point guard has done in nearly 13 years. The former lottery pick posted 42 points and 12 assists, the first Knick to post at least 40 points and 10 assists in one game since Stephon Marbury on March 29, 2005.

Burke has played well for New York since he was plucked from the G League, averaging 11.1 PPG and 3.7 APG. The 25-year-old, whose deal with the Knicks includes a non-guaranteed salary for 2018/19, feels he has been provided with an opportunity to showcase his ability this year in a way that has not been available since his rookie campaign, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.

“I think this is the first time since my rookie season where I’m in a situation where I can play extended minutes, I can play through mistakes,” Burke said. “I don’t make one or two mistakes and I’m snatched out of the game.”

Marc Berman of the New York Post relays that Burke, who changed his hairstyle to braids, resembles his hero, Allen Iverson, both aesthetically and on the court. Burke admits he patterns himself after the Hall-of-Famer but knows he has more work to do.

“I got a long way to go,” Burke said. “I know that. AI is a goal. Pound for pound, one of the greatest to ever play. I want to get there one day. I believe it.”

Check out more Knicks notes below:

Knicks center Kyle O’Quinn was caught on camera yelling at head coach Jeff Hornacek during the team’s matchup against the Wolves last Friday. Hornacek has downplayed the incident and O’Quinn said he overreacted, per ESPN. “I’d be the first one to say that my wrong reaction was the wrong one,” O’Quinn said. “I shouldn’t have come back. Just because somebody is yelling at me, I shouldn’t yell back. Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
With a player option decision and possible foray into free agency looming, Knicks center Enes Kanter will hire new representation, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. The agent in question, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, is highly regarded and Kanter said he wants to make more money off the court, which has been an issue due to his highly publicized international conflict with his native Turkey.
As we relayed last week, Knicks point guard Ron Baker is out of his sling and is progressing with his rehab.

New York Notes: Kanter, Hornacek, Dinwiddie, Offseason

March 16th, 2018 at 6:48pm CST by marksuleymanov

Enes Kanter has been vocal about his love for New York City and playing for the Knicks. The team is weeks away from concluding another dismal season without a playoff appearance but Kanter does not want the team to sacrifice wins in favor of auditioning young talent.

Kanter spoke to reporters, including ESPN’s Ian Begley, after practice on Friday and said the team needs to focus on winning games.

“Let me tell you something, man: They can develop guys in the G League. This is not the time to develop young guys, or whatever, because we’re trying to win games here,” Kanter said. “This team is paying us a lot of money, everybody, and all the fans are paying a lot money to watch the games and they’re paying a lot of money for tickets, so they’re not just coming here watching, ‘Oh, this guy’s getting better. This guy’s developing.’ No, we’re trying to win games here, man.”

Kanter can become a free agent at the end of the season, but has stressed that he wants to remain with the Knicks.

Check out more news coming out of the Big Apple:

There are 13 games left this season for the Knicks and they could be the final games the team plays with Jeff Hornacek as head coach. Hornacek, who is under contract for next season, indicated that he will meet with management after the season to discuss the future, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. “At the end of the season I’m sure we’ll sit down with (president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry) and figure out what we’re doing,” Hornacek said. “As a coach you’d like to know if you’re going to be here next year. But our job right now is take the guys that we have on this team and try to get them better.”
The Nets‘ D’Angelo Russell/Spencer Dinwiddie backcourt combo seems to be a thing of the past, as Dinwiddie will be on the bench for Friday’s contest against the Sixers. Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily writes that Dinwiddie’s recent struggles have forced the 2018 Skills Challenge winner to the bench. “Man, look. I’ve just got to do better, man,” Dinwiddie said. “When we lost games this year, I lost my defensive match-ups or haven’t played enough offensively or something else. For us to win games I’ve got to do better. Like right now, we’re struggling, and the drives and the aggressiveness are one of the reasons, so I’ve got to do better.”
Bobby Marks of ESPN Insider (subscription required and recommended) examines the Nets‘ possible offseason strategy which could include offloading Jeremy Lin, exploring an extension with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and being conservative with cap space.

Knicks Notes: Player Development, Kanter, Jack

March 15th, 2018 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking this week to reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, Knicks executive Craig Robinson referred to the Knicks’ approach to player development as “innovative,” “transformative,” and “something that is completely new,” but said that he couldn’t get into specifics because “then everybody would do what I want to do.”

Given the Knicks’ spotty recent track record of player development, I imagine Robinson’s comments will be met with some skepticism from fans, but he should get an opportunity to prove the value of his philosophies in the coming years, having been hired by the new regime last August.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Count Enes Kanter among the veterans around the NBA frustrated by their declining minutes and by their teams’ frequent losses. “I came here to win games. I didn’t come here to get a good lottery pick,” Kanter said after Tuesday’s loss to Dallas, per Fred Kerber of The New York Post. “I came here to win games and make the playoffs. So games like this are just weird. They make me think, ‘Why am I sitting?’ It’s weird, but we’ve got 14 games left and I’ll just try to do my best for 14 games.”
Jarrett Jack admits that there were “a couple of situations” available to him if he had pushed for a buyout before the March 1 playoff-eligibility deadline, as Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. Despite not playing a single minute for the Knicks since then, the veteran point guard doesn’t regret his decision. “I’m not miserable,” Jack said. “There are things that are a lot worse. I remember when I was hurt, playing for nobody, sitting on the couch. I would’ve given anything to be in the uniform.”
After playing on a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies, guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes has returned to the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate, per Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link).
As part of an ongoing Basketball Insiders series, Dennis Chambers offers up some suggestions for what he would do to try to build a contender around Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis.

Knicks Notes: Hornacek, Kanter, Beasley

March 6th, 2018 at 9:01pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks missed the playoffs last season and are currently 10 games back of the final seed in the Eastern Conference. Head coach Jeff Hornacek is under contract for one more season beyond 2017/18. There has been speculation he will be replaced after the season, but Hornacek expects to be back, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes.

“I still have next year so unless they tell me something different,” Hornacek said.

New York has started well in both seasons with Hornacek at the helm, but injuries have decimated the team. The Knicks also suffered a major blow last month when franchise linchpin Kristaps Porzingis went down with a season-ending torn ACL. The team has focused on playing youngsters Frank Ntilikina, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Trey Burke.

“Going into when we get KP back and our draft pick, and maybe free agency, we can be in better shape next year,” Hornacek added.

Check out other Knicks news and notes below:

Enes Kanter has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing year for the Knicks. He has openly discussed his preference to stay in New York after the season, which he reiterated on Tuesday, Chris Iseman of The Record writes. “I think after I came it was an amazing because everybody opened their arms,” Kanter said. “They welcomed me. The organization and everything was so nice and amazing. I just feel so comfortable.”
The season-ending injury to Porzingis allowed Michael Beasley to enter the starting lineup as the Knicks’ power forward. However, Beasley has averaged just 7.4 PPG since the All-Star break and could see himself fall out of the lineup, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “Being a four, I got to wait for people to get me involved and things like that,’’ Beasley said. “So that’s tough. But I do it.’’

Knicks Notes: Burke, Williams, Noah, Kanter

February 25th, 2018 at 9:17am CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks guard Trey Burke is crediting renewed religious faith not only for his improved play, but for the path that led him to New York, writes Ian Begley of ESPN. Burke, who scored 26 points for the second straight game Saturday, said he had an offer from the Thunder this summer, but opted for a G League contract with the Knicks’ Westchester affiliate.

“I bumped heads with my agent this summer because he didn’t understand [the decision to sign a G-League deal with the Knicks],” Burke recalled. “He pretty much called me and said, ‘OKC tomorrow for training camp. I’m going to call them back right now and say yeah, right?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘I want to go to New York. And I wanted to do that for the Lord. … I wanted to come to New York because I feel like this is a city where I can help a lot of people.”

His spiritual commitment also led Burke to make lifestyle changes that he says have helped him on the court. He got married over the summer, cut out frequent partying and has become more focused on basketball than ever before. He has a minimum-salary contract for next year with a $100K guarantee effective July 10 and a $400K guarantee on the first day of the season.

There’s more this morning out of New York:

Troy Williams is doing his best to make the Knicks want to keep him on their roster, notes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Signed Wednesday to a 10-day contract, Williams had 14 points in 12 minutes Saturday. Williams said seven teams contacted his agent after he was waived by the Rockets last week, and the final choice came down to the Knicks or Trail Blazers.
As Joakim Noah‘s leave of absence drags on, a former college teammate is coming to his defense, according to Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Celtics big man Al Horford hasn’t lost faith in Noah, who has played just seven games this season and hasn’t been with the team since an altercation with coach Jeff Hornacek at a January 24 practice. “I think Joakim can help any team,” Horford said. “I know he’s had a rough patch with injuries and things like that, but when he’s healthy, he’s as good as they come. And just his presence on a team, and what he brings defensively, he’s just about the right things.”
Enes Kanter hasn’t decided whether to exercise his option on an $18.6MM salary for next season, but he repeated his desire to stay in New York after Saturday’s game, relays Al Iannazzone of Newsday. The seventh-year center is averaging 14.2 points and 10.7 rebounds in his first season with the Knicks. “I’m not saying I’m opting in or opting out,” Kanter said. “I’m going to focus on this season, finish this season. I don’t even have an agent yet. I’ll get an agent first and talk to him about [it]. My thing right now it would be selfish for me to just say I’ll do this, I’ll do that. I’m going to finish this season right, have fun with my teammates and start thinking about the contract stuff.”

Knicks Notes: Mudiay, Ntilikina, Kornet, Noah

February 11th, 2018 at 11:52am CST by Arthur Hill

If Emmanuel Mudiay makes his Knicks debut today, he won’t have much preparation, writes Anthony Rieber of Newsday. Acquired Thursday from the Nuggets in a three-team trade, Mudiay wasn’t permitted to practice Saturday because the transaction wasn’t official. Devin Harris, who was sent to Denver in the deal, had yet to complete his physical. All coach Jeff Hornacek could do was talk to Mudiay, who is expected to suit up if the deal gets finalized before today’s 4:00 pm Central game in Indiana.

“Wish he could have been able to get out there and go through things, but he wasn’t allowed to,” Horacek said. “We’re going to have to continue to talk to him. Unfortunately, it’s an early game, so we won’t have a shootaround, but we’ll go over things with him on film. He was able to watch things, at least. I think he has a pretty good idea, so I don’t think it’ll take long for him to adjust.”

There’s more news out of New York:

Mudiay’s addition to an already-crowded point guard situation will result in fewer minutes for some players, but Hornacek expects them to handle it like professionals, Rieber adds in the same story. The coach isn’t worried about a negative attitude from rookie Frank Ntilikina, who has watched the organization add four point guards since he was drafted with the No. 8 pick in June. “To me, mentally weak guys think that,” Hornacek said. “Mentally strong guys don’t think that. They say, ‘OK, bring on whoever. I don’t care.’ I can see that in Frank. He has that mentality.”
Luke Kornet‘s impressive NBA debut made the decision to trade Willy Hernangomez easier to understand, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Kornet had 11 points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes Friday and became the first player ever with four blocks and three 3-pointers in his first game. Kornet’s breakout performance makes it even more unlikely that Joakim Noah will return from his leave of absence this year, according to Berman, who adds that the Knicks tried to send the veteran center to Orlando in a deal for Elfrid Payton.
Enes Kanter, who has a player option for next season worth more than $18.6MM, wants to spend the rest of his career in New York, relays Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Kanter said the city has a negative reputation in some NBA circles, but he believes in the front office led by president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry. “I like this place, man,” Kanter said. “It’s weird because people are scared to come to New York because they think New York is scary, all these bad things but I think this organization is good, man. These guys, Scott and Steve, the coaches and everything. They are just making sure you got everything you need so you can just focus on basketball.”