Kanter breakup is surprisingly amicable
The end might’ve been ugly, but the final divorce was amicable. After a couple months of Enes Kanter publicly feuding with David Fizdale and questioning the organization’s desire for winning, the Knicks waived the Turkish center Thursday with a classy statement from GM Scott Perry.
“From the moment he arrived in New York, Enes passionately embraced our franchise and our city,” said Perry, who acquired Kanter via trade for Carmelo Anthony in 2017. “He is a courageous individual and we thank him for his many contributions both on the court and in the community. We wish him the absolute best moving forward, personally and professionally.”
The Knicks had shopped Kanter for the entire season but never found a partner willing to trade expiring contracts with an added asset like a second-round pick. Kanter was excused from Thursday’s practice and then officially waived shortly after the 3 p.m. trade deadline. If, as expected, Kanter isn’t picked up off the waiver wire, he’s free to sign anywhere. The Celtics have been floated as a potential destination.
“It was definitely a tough spot for Enes,” Fizdale said. “I’ve been saying that from the beginning. Anytime you’ve got a guy who can do what Enes (can) on the court and you have to go in another direction for the betterment of the organization, that’s always a tough spot for a guy.”
Kanter was named the starter out of training camp, but was quickly benched as the team transitioned to a tank/player development mode. Kanter, who’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, became very vocal with his displeasure concerning his role and the unyielding losing.
At the same time, Kanter waged a much more serious and dangerous battle against the Turkish government. He is a wanted criminal in his home country for criticizing the authoritarian reign of President Recep Erdogan. In addition to being outlawed from contacting his family, Kanter skipped the Knicks’ game in London last month because he feared assassination at the hands of Turkish spies.