Less than two full seasons after splitting its post surplus by letting Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson walk in free agency, the Utah Jazz already have another major decision to make in the frontcourt. With the recently extended Derrick Favors enjoying a career season and sophomore center Rudy Gobert emerging as one of basketball’s preeminent rim-protectors, Enes Kanter has made it clear he wants to be traded prior to Thursday’s deadline. And according to sources, the Milwaukee Bucks are the most ardent pursuer of the third-year Turkish big man.
Via Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick of USA Today:
It’s no secret that fourth-year center Enes Kanter wants out of Utah, but he may not get his wish before Thursday’s trade deadline.
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The Milwaukee Bucks are known to be among the teams that have interest, in part because coach Jason Kidd has had a front-row seat to some of Kanter’s best games in the past two seasons.
Yahoo Sports! reported yesterday that the Jazz are willing to hang onto Kanter for the remainder of 2014-2015 and revisit trade discussions come this summer when he’s a restricted free agent. And though Utah and his representation are currently navigating these waters amicably, that will surely change if the team doesn’t receive its steep asking price in return for him – a promising prospect and first-round pick.
Kanter’s desire to be dealt now has to do with July free agent negotiations. Any team that acquires him over the next 24 hours also gains his Bird Rights, allowing it to exceed the salary cap to sign him. The Jazz are extremely unlikely to do so considering Gobert’s development coupled with Kanter’s summer price tag and his wish to leave Utah.
Basically, the 22 year-old’s potential earning capacity increases if dealt because the team that just paid for him via trade won’t want to see him walk as a restricted free agent only months later. That’s no concern to the Jazz; what is should be Utah selling high on Kanter now. Bird Rights are valuable, and lost if he’s traded once free agency officially begins on July 1.
Milwaukee has all of its draft picks over the next several years, plus a lottery-protected first-rounder from the Los Angeles Clippers coming its way in 2017. Will the Bucks be willing to pay the Jazz’s price for Kanter now?
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker are certainly untouchable, and it’s safe to assume the team would prefer to retain John Henson, too. But Khris Middleton’s name has been floated in trade rumors for several months, and he would help fill a hole on the Utah wing. He and a first-round pick in exchange for Kanter seems a workable deal to us from both sides.
One complication: Middleton is also a restricted free agent this summer.
Trades are never easy. There are countless mitigating factors that are obvious on the surface in addition to those of which only one team involved is privy. But that the Jazz and Kanter are on the same page concerning his future makes a deal more likely. Whether or not Milwaukee will be the team to make it remains to be seen, as does the timeline of Kanter’s inevitable departure from Utah.
