Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter reportedly rubbed his old Utah Jazz teammates the wrong way, but that's unlikely to affect his future with the Thunder when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer. The biggest question is whether Oklahoma City will be able to match the sizeable offer sheet Kanter will likely get in July.
Kanter finally got his wish on Feb. 19. Oklahoma City acquired him at the trade deadline, and the 6-foot-11 center hasn't looked back. It's easy not to look back when you wanted out of a situation all along, but Kanter really left himself no other choice after burning - nuking, as one NBA writer put it - the bridge behind him. He made critical comments of the Jazz organization and admitted he didn't leave it all on the court every night, perpetuating his league-wide reputation of being a troublesome player and potentially hurting his chances of landing a big payday in free agency.
"At times, Kanter rubbed people the wrong way with his poor attitude, awful defense and limited effort," Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy wrote Tuesday. "These red flags have some league sources wondering just how much Kanter will be offered when he hits free agency on July 1, and if he'll be able to get the lucrative, long-term deal he's seeking."
Oklahoma City, though, is unlikely to be the only team willing to look past Kanter's red flags. The 22-year-old has said he loves playing for the Thunder, and his poor attitude in Utah stemmed from his frustration with the Jazz's lack of "professionalism." It stands to reason at least a few teams - like the Sacramento Kings or the Toronto Raptors - will buy that excuse.
More importantly, Kanter's short time with the Thunder has proven he can consistently produce when playing for a team he likes.
"Since joining the Oklahoma City Thunder at the trade deadline, Kanter is averaging 17.8 points and 10.7 rebounds while shooting 56.3 percent from the field," Kennedy wrote. "Over the last 10 games, his numbers are even better: 19.9 points, 12.7 rebounds and 56.8 percent from the field."
Kennedy continued, noting that kind of production is enough for the soon-to-be restricted free agent to command a hefty raise - if not a max deal - after the season.
"Judging by this information alone, it seems that Kanter is poised for a huge payday this summer," Kennedy said. "Big men who easily average a double-double and are barely over the legal drinking age get paid big bucks in the NBA. The Thunder will be able to match any offer sheet the center receives once they restrict him with a qualifying offer, but it would seem Kanter is due for a significant raise from someone."
The problem for Oklahoma City is its salary cap situation for next season. Even if the Thunder wanted to keep Kanter at any cost, general manager Sam Presti would have to be very financially creative due to the $78.2 million1 in guaranteed money already on the books for 2015-16. Especially since Oklahoma City's ownership has its own reputation, one for not liking to have its payroll over the cap.
