Fansided

Thunder retain Enes Kanter, match Blazers’ offer sheet

By Matt Verderame

Apr 7, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (34) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs center Aron Baynes (16) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 7, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (34) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs center Aron Baynes (16) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Oklahoma City Thunder are matching the $70 million offer sheet to center Enes Kanter by the Portland Trail Blazers, ensuring that they keep the 23-year-old, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Sunday was the deadline for Oklahoma City to keep Kanter, and general manager Sam Presti got in under the wire.

Wojnarowski is reporting that while this deal will put the Thunder over the luxury tax – something the franchise has not wanted to do in the past and because of it, traded away James Harden – ownership has little choice. The small-market franchise desperately wants to keep superstar Kevin Durant in the building and with his free agency coming to fruition in 2016, these are desperate times.

Kanter was acquired last season by Oklahoma City in a trade with the Utah Jazz. With Kanter, Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, the Thunder should have one of the most potent teams in the league, along with the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs.

Last year, Kanter averaged 18.7 points and 11.0 rebounds in 27 games with the Thunder, by far the best numbers of his young career. Kanter was the third-overall pick out of Kentucky in the 2011 NBA Draft, and really came on for the Jazz in the 2013-14 campaign.

At 6-foot-11 and 245 pounds, there is still plenty of room for Kanter to grow physically and mature as a player. With Durant and Westbrook being the main focus of any opposing gameplan, Kanter stands to thrive.

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