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The New York Knicks will likely begin negotiations to buy Enes Kanter out of his contract should they fail to move him before Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The veteran center, who is earning $18.6 million this year, will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
Newsday‘s Steve Popper reported Jan. 2 that Kanter had spoken with Knicks general manager Steve Mills to “express his frustration with the team’s struggles and his diminished role.” Kanter clarified to Popper that he hadn’t asked for a trade, though.
The eighth-year big man appeared to be changing his tune later in the month.
“I want to play basketball. We’re all competitors,” he told reporters. “I want to play basketball. So just if you’re going to play me here, play me. If not, then just get me out of here.”
On Sunday, Kanter referenced the looming trade deadline, which could potentially resolve his future.
“I have four days left,” he said, per the New York Post‘s Jonathan Lehman. “I’m just going to wait four more days to see what happens, and then if something happens, it happens. If [it doesn’t happen], I’ll just go sit down with the front office, see what’s going on, see what they plan to do with me.”
He added he’d let his agent handle things if a buyout were necessary to get him out of the Big Apple.
One way or another, it would appear Kanter’s days are numbered with the Knicks. He has made three appearances since the Knicks’ 122-95 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 8.
New York is clearly focusing on the offseason, both clearing cap space and attempting to get the best lottery odds possible in the 2019 draft. The team has little use for an experienced center on an expiring deal.
Kanter’s contract will make it difficult to trade him, so the Knicks will likely have to absorb some dead money in order to get him off the books.
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