Kanter will stay with Knicks; Mavericks pursuing Jordan
NEW YORK — Enes Kanter had more than 18 million reasons to stay with the Knicks, and he opted for that over free agency.
As expected, Kanter picked up his $18.66 million player option for the 2018-19 season and will remain the Knicks’ starting center. Kanter announced his intentions on social media Friday, which was the deadline.
Kanter posted a picture of himself in a Knicks jersey Friday in front of a podium with a sign that read: “Make Knicks Great Again.” The Knicks were informed that Kanter was opting in shortly after, a league source said.
With Kanter officially on the books for next season, the Knicks will only have the $8.6 million midlevel exception and $3.4 million biannual exception to spend on free agents. But they’re not expected to be big spenders this year.
Team president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry said as much in the last week. The Knicks’ plan is to have as much salary-cap room as possible for next summer when Kyrie Ir- ving, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker and Kevin Love can be free agents. The Knicks want to create cap space and flexibility to be major players next summer. Kanter is a good short-term solution for the Knicks.
For the upcoming season, they’ll need Kanter’s scoring and rebounding, especially with Kristaps Porzingis sidelined indefinitely after tearing his left ACL in February.
The Knicks were thin at center before Kanter, 26, opted in. Kyle O’Quinn opted out and will be a free agent. Joakim Noah’s future with the Knicks remains cloudy at best. And secondround pick Mitchell Robinson is a project.
Dallas clearing salary-cap space
The Mavericks are making another run at DeAndre Jordan, three years after the center jilted them in free agency to stay with the Clippers.
Jordan was set to make $24.1 million next season but has opted out of the final year of the four-year, $87.6 million contract he signed with Los Angeles in 2015. The Mavericks intend to pursue him as an unrestricted free agent, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.
Free agency began at 11:01 p.m. Saturday and that’s when Jordan can agree to a deal witht he Mavericks. Free agents can’t sign contracts until the NBA moratorium is lifted on July 6.
The Mavericks also declined the $5 million club option on Dirk Nowitzki’s contract and plan to re-sign him once its salary structure is more settled.
The move on Nowitzki is designed to create more room under the salary cap, as were the decisions to rescind qualifying offers to shooting guard Doug McDermott and center Salah Mejri, making both unrestricted free agents.
Jordan was set to make $24.1 million under the four-year, $87.6 million contract he signed to stay with the team that drafted him in 2008. Seven years later, the Mavericks made a strong play for Jordan, who agreed to sign with them as a free agent.
The Houston native changed his mind, and the saga played out on social media the day before Jordan could sign. Former teammate Blake Griffin and coach Doc Rivers were part of a contingent that went to his house and stayed with him until the deal was official.
Deadline passes for Durant as expected
The deadline for Kevin Durant to opt into his contract with the Warriors for next season passed without him doing so, making the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP a free agent — yet his intention has always been to re-sign with Golden State.
The team had long been prepared for this move — merely a procedural decision — knowing his plans for months.