Throughout free agency, it’s been widely assumed that Enes Kanter would be back with the Thunder. He’s a restricted free agent, but the Thunder are motivated to keep him, not only because they just traded for him at the deadline, but because they need all the talent they can get going into Kevin Durant’s free agency next summer.
The Portland Trail Blazers, flush with cap space after losing three starters to free agency, are making their lives difficult. NBA.com’s David Aldridge reports that Kanter will sign an offer sheet in Portland, worth four years and $70 million.
With lots of cap room post-LaMarcus, Blazers putting an offer sheet on Thunder RFA center Enes Kanter, per sources.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 9, 2015
Offer sheet for Enes Kanter, per source, is a four-year max deal for approximately $70 million, with a player option for year four.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 9, 2015
Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski adds that Kanter’s offer sheet includes a trade kicker, which makes it even more difficult for the Thunder to match:
Kanter offer sheet is expected to include a trade kicker too, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 9, 2015
It’s probably a moot point because the Thunder are expected to match, but Kanter is not a good fit in Portland at all. They just signed Ed Davis and traded for Mason Plumlee, and have their own former lottery pick, Meyers Leonard, who is expected to get big minutes after improving last season. That’s three young bigs, all making substantially less than Kanter would make, and all of whom are considerably better defenders than Kanter, who is a complete liability on that end. Even with the cap going up next summer, a max deal for Kanter is not the best use of any resources for Portland.
But, again, the Thunder will probably match.
