Enes Kanter Will Opt Into The Final Year Of His Contract With The Knicks

With an unrestricted free agent market this summer that is rather top-heavy, Knicks center Enes Kanter had a rather interesting decision to make. Would it be wise to opt into the final year of the four-year, $70 million deal he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015, or should he test the open market and see if the general scarcity that might exist could lead to a big payday?

According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, Kanter has decided to opt into the final year of his deal, which will keep him in New York and pay him nearly $19 million this season.

Kanter denied that he made up his mind after Charania reported that he made a decision, but soon after, the Knicks’ big man confirmed that he will indeed opt in.

Beyond the fact that “Make [THING] Great Again” is as tired of a trope as there is at this point and that evoking the President might not be the most tactful decision he could have made here, opting in is probably a smart move by Kanter. While he would be in for a nice payday if he became a free agent, getting as much money as he’ll make this season might be a bit of a stretch. Plus Knicks GM Steve Mills has said Kanter wants to stay in New York, so even if this just extends his tenure by one year, at least he’ll get to do that.