Getty New York Knicks center Enes Kanter
To say that it’s been a strange 24 hours for New York Knicks center Enes Kanter would be an understatement. After he was expected to start in Wednesday’s game against the Houston Rockets, a late decision was made to start Lance Thomas for the injured Luke Kornet instead. But things got even stranger when Knicks coach David Fizdale opted not to play Kanter at all through the entire game.
After the night had wrapped up, Kanter essentially asked for a trade due to his frustration with the current situation, as The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov revealed.
“What they’re doing to me is pretty messed up. I deserve better.”
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“You either play me or let me play.” Kanter said, according to Vorkunov.
After these comments had come to light, Fizdale was asked about whether Kanter would become a distraction. Apparently, the Knicks coach had somewhat of an “I don’t care” reaction to that, and specifically responded with a pretty perfect (and sad) joke, per The Athletic and Vorkunov.
“What are we gonna do, lose some more games? I shouldn’t make light of it. Sometimes you gotta laugh.” No, it’s a good lesson for all of them. Because they’re all gonna end up in different scenarios. So what I try to do is take all of these situations and teach them and prepare them and try to give them ammunition on how to handle this stuff.” Fizdale said.
That’s pretty brutal, and unfortunately, also pretty spot-on as well. The Knicks’ struggles this season have been well-documented, but the team is also playing without star Kristaps Porzingis currently.
Knicks’ Outlook Moving Forward
Although things certainly look bleak at this point, there’s a reason for optimism beyond the 2018-19 season. Currently, the Knicks sit with a 10-36 record, which is the second-worst in the NBA. They’re bound to be at the top of the 2019 NBA Draft, which features quite a few big names, including Duke’s Zion Williamson.
Beyond that, New York is an appealing free agent destination and one which a few different stars have already been linked to. One of those players is current Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant, who could look to become the face of the Knicks for the 2019-20 season and beyond.
Enes Kanter’s Future
As for Kanter, he’s only under contract through this season, so even if he remains with the Knicks, the pairing will almost certainly only last roughly another 36 games or so. The rebuild for the Knicks will need to be pushed back until next season, but there’s still a lot to be excited about when looking ahead for the franchise.
There’s also a strong possibility the team will move on from Kanter before the trade deadline. Doing this would take his contract off the books and allow the coaching staff to focus entirely on the growth of Kornet and rookie big man Mitchell Robinson.
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