OKC Matches Offer Sheet On Kanter

Oklahoma City will match the Portland offer sheet on Enes Kanter, keeping Kanter in Oklahoma City, Thunder general manager Sam Presti announced Sunday.

“We traded for Enes last season with the intention of keeping him as a member of the Thunder for several years to come, and we are excited that he will continue with us,” said Presti. “He adds valuable depth to our roster, diversity to our frontcourt and the dimension that he brings offensively will positively impact our team.”

Kanter signed a four-year, $70 million offer sheet with the Trailblazers on Thursday afternoon. Oklahoma City took all of the three days to match the offer even though the team had consistently indicated it would do so no matter the price. 

The price for Kanter is steep, as the new contract puts the Thunder into major luxury tax territory for the 2015-16 season. Including taxes, Kanter will probably cost the Thunder close to $40 million this season. The deal also includes a player option on the fourth year.

However, even with getting Kevin Durant back next season on a max contract, the Thunder is projected to be under the luxury tax next season thanks to the higher salary cap. As is the case with the Thunder, this was a long-term decision that went a lot farther than this season’s tax bill.

It’s possible the Thunder deal a couple of players—most likely Steve Novak and Perry Jones—to take a bit off the tax bill and create a few roster spots going into training camp. Novak and Jones are due almost $5.8 million this season. Shedding that money would bump the Thunder down a tax bracket and save a considerable amount of money.

The offseason has been predictable and successful for the Thunder. Now the key is making that success translate to the court.