Enes Kanter Traded to Oklahoma City Thunder

The Utah Jazz have traded center Enes Kanter to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a three-team deal including Reggie Jackson and Kendrick Perkins. 

Continue for updates.

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Kanter Traded to Thunder

Thursday, Feb. 19

Kanter is heading to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a deal involving three teams. The Jazz provided a press release confirming the news and players involved:

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The Utah Jazz announced today the team has acquired rookie forward Grant Jerrett, the rights to German center Tibor Pleiss, center Kendrick Perkins and a future first-round pick from Oklahoma City, as well as a 2017 second-round pick from the Detroit Pistons as part of a three-team trade.  As part of the deal, the Jazz traded center Enes Kanter and forward Steve Novak to Oklahoma City, who also received guard D.J. Augustin and forward Kyle Singler from Detroit while sending the Pistons guard Reggie Jackson.

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Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports first reported the news.

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Team Stream Now Weighs In On Kanter's Future

Wednesday, Feb. 18

Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders spoke to Adam Lefkoe of Bleacher Report on his future before the trade deadline:

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Kanter Draws Interest from Multiple Teams Including Bucks

Tuesday, Feb. 17 

Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick of USA Today reported that the "Milwaukee Bucks are known to be among the teams that have interest, in part because coach Jason Kidd has had a front-row seat to some of Kanter's best games in the past two seasons."

Wojnarowski first reported that multiple teams have interest in the Jazz big man on Tuesday:

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Utah's Enes Kanter wants a chance to be traded to a team that will have his bird rights in restricted free agency this summer, and that's something the Jazz would only do for a considerable return, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

The emergence of center Rudy Gobert with the Jazz could make Kanter more expendable, but rival front offices who have checked with the Jazz believe so far that nothing short of a good young player and a first-round pick will pry Kanter before Thursday's deadline.

Nevertheless, there are multiple teams with interest in Kanter, who many believe still can become a legitimate force on frontlines. As a restricted free agent this summer, Kanter could command $10 million-plus in this climate, and teams assets for him need to be ready to pay it.

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Alex Kennedy Analyzes Potential Kanter Landing Spots

Thursday, Feb. 12

Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders joins Bleacher Report's Team Stream Now to discuss potential landing spots for Kanter:

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Kanter Requests Trade, Does Not Travel With Team

Wednesday, Feb. 11

Speaking to Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune after Wednesday night's 87-82 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Kanter indicated he'd prefer the Jazz trade him before the deadline.

However, Jody Genessy of the Deseret News reported that Kanter's agent denies the report.

Kanter played only 18 minutes and did not return to the game after suffering an eye injury midway through the third quarter. He fished with six points and 10 rebounds. Rudy Gobert took a majority of the minutes at center with Kanter out.

"It was not my eye at all. I don't know what it was, but it was not my eye at all. So we'll see what's going to happen," Kanter said of why he didn't re-enter the game.

Genessy noted that Kanter was one of a few players to decline to take the team charter after the game:

The Jazz do not play again until after the All-Star break, so it's not a deviation from the norm for players to go their own way. Kanter declining to travel with the team after giving such pointed comments, however, will raise eyebrows. General manager Dennis Lindsey declined to comment on Kanter's status when asked by Genessy.

Kanter, 22, is averaging a career-high 14.0 points and 7.8 rebounds heading into the break, but his future with the team has been the source of rumors all season. The Jazz failed to sign their former No. 3 overall pick to a contract extension before the Oct. 31 deadline, meaning he'll hit restricted free agency this summer.

Gobert's emergence as a rim-protecting menace has only further muddied the situation. Coach Quin Snyder has increasingly looked to incorporate Gobert more in the rotation, increasing his minutes from 15.8 in November to 27.7 in January.

Pure salary-cap logic dictates the Jazz will eventually have to trade Kanter, Gobert or Derrick Favors. With Favors under contract on a four-year extension, speculation has understandably focused on the two centers. Kanter is a more gifted offensive player but offers next to nothing from a rim protection standpoint. Gobert has All-Defensive potential, but his only scoring skill at this point is dunking.

The Jazz may have a difficult time finding suitors for Kanter given his impending free agency, so this may all be moot by Thursday. That said, his comments poured gasoline on an already simmering fire. It'll be interesting to see if Lindsey decides to put it out by making a deal or allows it to keep burning into the summer.

 

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