Enes Kanter was the centerpiece of the package that the New York Knicks received from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Carmelo Anthony. While the Knicks also received Doug McDermott and a future second-round pick for the All-Star forward, Kanter is the best piece that New York got back in the deal.
Apparently, Kanter couldn’t believe this trade happened. We already knew that the Knicks’ new center learned about the move while doing a Periscope live stream, but on Monday, we found out that it took a while for Kanter to really understand that the deal happened. He realized this by punching himself, per the New York Post.
“I put the phone in my ear and my manager said, ‘You just got traded.’ I said, ‘OK.’ I said, ‘Where?’’’ Kanter recounted. “He said to the Knicks. He said, ‘Don’t look too happy’ because he knows I love New York, he said, ‘Don’t look too happy.’ And after I went home and packed my stuff, I woke up in the middle of the night and punched myself. I said, ‘Is this a dream? Is this really happening?’”
Kanter is stoked to move to New York, though, as he pointed out that he’s played almost exclusively in smaller markets throughout his career. Plus he mentioned that he is excited because the Big Apple has a big Turkish community.
While Kanter obviously loved being a member of the Thunder, as evidenced by his efforts to defend the team against Kevin Durant in recent weeks, at least he seems like he’s heading to a place where he’ll be happy… well, as happy as you can be when you play for the Knicks.
(Via New York Post)
