Thunder match Portland’s offer sheet, will keep Kanter

They took it one head-scratching step further last week when they offered restricted free agent Enes Kanter a four-year, $70 million contract. The Thunder were only $2.5 million below the tax line before matching the offer, which means they will pay nearly double what Kanter’s salary figure is once the tax is included.

The Thunder’s General Manager Sam Presti had been quoted by Fox Sports as stating “Our intention has been to match offers on Enes, and nothing has changed in this regard”, hence increasing the expectation that the Turkish center would remain at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Thunder are likely to shop forwards Steve Novak and Perry Jones III to help alleviate some of the pending financial hit, according to league sources. Prior to Kanter’s arrival, no Thunder center had ever recorded a single 20-point/10-rebound game. Since free agency began on July 1, the team has been scrambling to stockpile big men – Noah Vonleh, Mason Plumlee and Ed Davis, to along with Meyers Leonard and Chris Kaman – in an admirable but shortsighted effort to bolster their diminished front-court situation after losing both LaMarcus Aldridge and Robin Lopez.

Kanter became an interior force for Oklahoma City after being acquired at the trade deadline from the Utah Jazz in a three-team deal, particularly because of his immediate pick-and-roll chemistry with point guard Russell Westbrook.

But as mentioned, Kanter’s defense is terrible, and Oklahoma City was bad defensively with him on the floor. OKC would have had no room to sign anyone this summer if they let Kanter go, and keeping him doesn’t restrict their ability going forward.

Kanter was selected third overall in the 2011 draft.