The New York Knicks have released embattled center Enes Kanter on Thursday after weeks of tension between the two sides.
Enes Kanter talked the talk while he was with the New York Knicks. He had hopes of a long-term future with the Knicks, but the feeling was not mutual.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Knicks will release Kanter on Thursday.
As the Knicks shifted their focus towards player development, Kanter’s playing time took a serious hit. He was not happy about taking on a lesser role and he made his feelings known. “We want Kanter” chants were a staple in Madison Square Garden for the last couple of weeks.
But after all the nonsense that surrounded Kanter this season, he can now move on and search for a new team where he can find consistent minutes.
Despite his flaws, Kanter can fill up the box score. He’s a gifted scorer in the post and a relentless rebounder. Unfortunately, he’s a complete liability on defense and teams know that attacking him via the pick-and-roll will lead to tons of great looks at the rim.
Kanter finishes his Knicks tenure with solid box score statistics despite all the hoopla. In two seasons, he averaged 14.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. He was a dominant offensive rebounder, averaging just under four offensive rebounds per game as a Knick.
This is the right move for both sides. This allows Kanter to move on and look for an opportunity to play. Furthermore, it allows the Knicks to focus on their young talent rather than the sideshow that Kanter was becoming.
