Utah Jazz Trade Rumors: Enes Kanter Demands a Trade

By Cheri Cheng - 13 Feb '15 14:49PM

Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter is fed up with his role on the team and wants to be traded before the deadline, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Aaron Falk wrote, "Frustrated by his role during his three-plus years in Utah, center Enes Kanter told The Salt Lake Tribune he hopes to be traded before this year's deadline..."

After sitting out of the fourth quarter in Wednesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks due to an eye injury he sustained in the first quarter, Kanter, 22, expressed his frustrations with the team. He claimed that he was healthy enough to play and was not too happy to sit out for the rest of the game. The Jazz ended up losing 87-82.

"It was not my eye at all. I don't know what it was, but it was not my eye at all. So we'll see what's going to happen," Kanter said after the game. He did not elaborate on why he thinks he was put on the bench.

Although Kanter, who averages 13.8 points and 7.8 rebounds in 27.1 minutes, is a solid center, his role on the team has diminished due to his poor defense. With Kanter on the court, opponents score 4.7 points per 100 possessions more.

Coach Quin Synder has recently given Rudy Gobert a larger role. With Gobert on the court, the Jazz's defense improves by 7.3 points per 100 possessions. Gobert averages 6.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 21.9 minutes.

"I knew he was frustrated about playing time," said Gobert reported by the Deseret News. "But we didn't really talk about it."

Point guard Trey Burke added, "It's a little surprising as a teammate. Sometimes guys hold things in, they bottle things (up) and ... just got to let what they really feel go. I'm not saying I agree with it. At the same time, I'm not one of those guys to get super angry about it."

Throughout the season, Kanter has split his time with Derrick Favors, Gobert and Trevor Booker.

Kanter will be a restricted free agent this summer after he and the Jazz failed to agree on a contract extension.

The Jazz (19-34) are currently 12th in the Western Conference.