Benefits of OKC Thunder keeping Enes Kanter out weigh negatives

Yes he’s overpaid and yes he’s a defensive liability, but Enes Kanter has an important role on the OKC Thunder. Trading him just isn’t worth it.

It’s no secret that the OKC Thunder would like to move on from Enes Kanter. Oklahoma City, are currently right above the luxury tax. They’ll be paying the big man nearly 18 million dollars next season. With the addition of Patrick Patterson and the desire to give more minutes to Steven Adams, Jerami Grant, and even Doug McDermott, it appears as if Kanter will have a reduced role next season. All that being said, the Oklahoma City Thunder are better off with Kanter on the roster. Trading him simply doesn’t make sense for this team.

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Reality Check:

First of all, trading Kanter is incredibly difficult. Look at how many incredible trades Presti has made the past calendar year. One would think if Presti could have found a way to move Kanter in a package that gets something positive back, he would have done it by now.

The fact of the matter is that in today’s pace-and-space league, Kanter’s skill set is undervalued and his weaknesses are greatly exposed. This isn’t the ’90’s anymore where teams just throw the ball down low to their big man and tell them to do what they do best.

Even as recently as 2010, teams like the Lakers relied heavily on its big men like Pau Gasol and Andre Bynum. Unfortunately for Kanter, those days are long gone. Today, big men are most valuable spacing the floor, defending the rim, and defending out in space on switches and in pick-and-rolls. While Kanter has improved tremendously in all of these areas, he’s still well below the standards for the modern NBA big.

The Thunder aren’t the only team trying to get rid of its old-fashioned big man. The Orlando Magic have been trying forever to trade Nikola Vucevic. Same thing with the Milwaukee Bucks and Greg Monroe. Even the Philadelphia 76ers are struggling to dump Jahlil Okafor, who still has two years left on a rookie-scale deal. Kanter is making more annually than all of these players and both Monroe and Vucevic are probably better off in today’s league than Kanter.

There are options to move Kanter, but..

One way the OKC Thunder could trade Kanter would be in a salary dump that would also require giving up an asset. For example, the Thunder could work a trade with a team like the Brooklyn Nets, who have loads of cap space and are in need of future assets. A trade like Kanter and Terrance Ferguson to the Nets for a set of expiring contracts could work. However, that isn’t worth letting go of a prized piece like Ferguson. There is no point in trading away a first round pick, while also giving up a player that can contribute to your team.

Honestly, the notion that this team needs to avoid the luxury tax is absurd. Now with a “title contending roster”, management has stated they are willing to go into the luxury tax. The fans aren’t paying Kanter’s contract, and ticket prices aren’t going to rise drastically. Are the Thunder paying Kanter more than his value to the team? Absolutely. But there isn’t an NBA roster where all players are being paid in proportion to their skill level and value. The coaching staff isn’t under any pressure to play Kanter a certain amount of minutes because of how much money he makes. Plus, dumping Kanter would just be playing into the narrative that OKC is a cheap franchise.

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Enes Kanter Skill Set Fits This Team:

So if the OKC Thunder can’t trade Enes Kanter for a positive return, they might as well keep him. And that is more than fine. Kanter has multiple above-average skills that the Thunder can benefit from.

As Thunder fans have come to realize the past two-and-a-half years, Kanter is a monster down low. He is one of only a few big men left in the NBA with a traditional post game. When things aren’t clicking on offense, the team can just throw the ball to him and get a great look. He’s also one of the best offensive rebounders in the league. Had it not been for Kanter’s offensive rebounding, the Thunder wouldn’t have beaten the San Antonio Spurs in the 2016 Western Conference Semifinals. Oklahoma City has become one of the best teams at crashing the glass. Enes Kanter has played a large part in that.

Kanter is also an improving passer. In the nine games before he broke his arm punching a chair, he had six games with multiple assists. This was an incredibly positive development for a player who averages less than an assist per game in his career. Speaking of Kanter’s injury, that was the turning point for his season. When he came back, he wasn’t the same player. In the final 24 games of the season, he only had four games with multiple assists. This was crucial because the Thunder ran its second unit offense through Kanter out of the low post. If Kanter can continue to improve as a passer, it will help spread the floor and make things less miserable when Russell Westbrook sits.

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There is a certain notion that Kanter is “unplayable against certain teams”. This was magnified during these past playoffs when Billy Donovan’s infamous “can’t play Kanter” soundbite went viral. In reality however, there are really only a few teams where Enes Kanter is a bad matchup. Unfortunately for the Thunder, two of those teams, the Warriors and the Rockets, have beaten the Thunder in the playoffs. On most nights, especially during the regular season, Kanter is more than playable. There will be games where he can easily go for 20 points and 10 boards.

Also of note, Kanter is still just 25 years old. He is still improving on both sides. If Kanter can develop a reliable three-point shot the way the Thunder think he can, that will further increase both his and the team’s offensive potential.

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The Intangibles:

Part of what makes Enes Kanter such a valuable fit with the Thunder is that he has bought into the Thunder system. He is willing to come off the bench, he understands his role, and knows that on some nights, he won’t be of much value. Furthermore, he is a great locker room presence and has established positive relationships with most of his teammates. Steven Adams loves him. So does Westbrook. He has also been a great influence on the Oklahoma City community.

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Over the past few years, the OKC Thunder have had issues getting certain members of the team to truly accept the organization’s way of going about business. Examples of this include Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones III, Reggie Jackson, and Cameron Payne. Even a veteran player like Kevin Martin wasn’t sold on the Thunder mentality. If the Thunder were to move Kanter for another player, there is no guarantee he would be able to accept his role and contribute in a positive manner. Kanter loves being in Oklahoma City, which is a skill in itself.

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Bottom Line:

Does it stink that the Thunder are spending a lot of money on a player that can’t start and doesn’t have much position versatility? Or course. The team would much rather be able to spend that money on a desperately needed quality backup point guard. But from the way it looks, Kanter is here to stay. That’s not a bad thing. He is not a net-negative player. He will be a positive contributor for this Thunder team next season. It will be up to the coaching staff to make sure they are using him properly and getting the most out of his skills.

If by some miracle, the Thunder can trade Enes Kanter for a quality wing, that is one thing. But by the way things have gone, that isn’t likely to happen.