NBA Rumors: Enes Kanter Demanding A Trade From Knicks, ‘Just Get Me Out Of Here’
Enes Kanter continues to get more frustrated with the New York Knicks as the 2018-19 NBA season goes deeper. Kanter entered the season as the Knicks starting center, but with the team currently in the middle of a rebuilding process, Coach David Fizdale demoted the Turkish big man to the bench to give more playing time to Luke Kornet and Mitchell Robinson.
When Luke Kornet suffered an ankle sprain, there’s growing optimism that Enes Kanter would be returning to the starting lineup in their recent game against the Houston Rockets. Unfortunately, before the game started, Coach David Fizdale announced that Noah Vonleh would be their starting center and not Kanter.
In a post-game interview, Coach David Fizdale explained his decision to start Noah Vonleh over Enes Kanter. Fizdale said that he decided to use Vonleh to slow James Harden down in pick-and-roll situations.
“I was thinking how much speed I can keep on the floor to just balance it and keep up with him and be able to challenge him,” Fizdale said. “And obviously, he still went for what he went for, but I thought it at least gave us a chance to compete and win at the end.”
Some people believe that giving the starting role to Noah Vonleh instead of Enes Kanter is a good decision for Coach David Fizdale. The Knicks may have failed to stop James Harden’s dominance on the offensive end of the floor, but they only lost the game by just four points. However, as expected, Kanter voiced out his frustration once again after receiving a limited role.
“I want to play basketball. We’re all competitors. I want to play basketball,” Kanter said, via Ian Begley of ESPN. “So just if you’re going to play me here, play me. If not, then just get me out of here.”
David Fizdale told Enes Kanter he was going to start on Wednesday morning. By the end of the night, Kanter had his first career DNP-CD and requested a trade. On a messed up situation https://t.co/v3iadvtLJo
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) January 24, 2019
When he started expressing his frustration with the Knicks earlier in the 2018-19 NBA season, Enes Kanter said that he’s not demanding a trade and that he loves New York. However, as the February NBA trade deadline draws near, Kanter has changed his tune and no longer shy to say what his heart desires. At this point in his NBA career, the veteran center will surely want to be on a team that could give him significant playing time and has a real chance of contending for the NBA championship title.
Several NBA teams have already expressed interest in adding Enes Kanter to their roster, including the Sacramento Kings. The Knicks and the Kings reportedly engaged in a trade discussion involving Kanter and Zach Randolph. Unfortunately, the deal didn’t push through after the Knicks refused to take back salary.
