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Should The Phoenix Suns Trade For Enes Kanter?

By Gerald Bourguet

Feb 6, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter (0) dribbles against Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris (11) during the first half at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 6, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter (0) dribbles against Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris (11) during the first half at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Enes Kanter
Dec 31, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Isaiah Thomas (3) talks to Phoenix Suns guard Gerald Green (14) in action against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Complications And How It Works For The Jazz:

For the Jazz, if Kanter says he wants to be traded, that means they’ve got an unhappy player. Utah has some room to match offers for Kanter this summer, but if he becomes a sower of discord in the locker room, cashing in on his value now might be the best course of action. Then again, Jody Genessy of the Deseret News reports Kanter hasn’t received much interest around the league.

The Jazz have Trey Burke, Dante Exum and Alec Burks in the backcourt already, so for those unfamiliar with the team, it might seem like Utah is already set with a couple of players who are too young to give up on.

But Exum’s a rookie, Burke has been moved to the bench and into a sixth man role and Burks is currently injured. The Jazz aren’t in a playoff push this year, but any one of Phoenix’s guards would be a superior backcourt option to what Utah has on its roster right now.

Kanter is the only Jazz big who can spread the floor with a midrange shot, so he’s not 100 percent expendable. However, Favors is better all around and Gobert has rapidly turned into a defensive monster, meaning it’s only a matter of time before he takes over the starting job.

As is the case with pretty much any trade, there are some complications for both sides; “Kanter-arguments,” if you will.

For the Suns, their cap situation could be put in a stranglehold if they manage to keep Dragic this summer and some other suitor makes Kanter the kind of offer he can command on the market.

Aside from the other fact that the Jazz technically don’t have to move Kanter, it’s worth mentioning that he might not be any happier in Phoenix. Even if Plumlee is traded and the Suns let Wright go in free agency this summer, Phoenix still has Markieff Morris and Alex Len onboard.

Kanter is a better player right now, but does he have brighter future than Len does? And would Hornacek find a way to put him in the starting rotation? I would answer both of those questions with a “no.” That means Kanter would likely come off the bench. If he’s unhappy now as a member of Utah’s starting rotation, he probably wouldn’t be happy coming off the bench either.

Next: Potential Trades

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