NBA Rumors: Lakers Fall Short Of Landing Enes Kanter

The Los Angeles Lakers still have an open roster spot, and there is still no word on who they plan to sign for it. Carmelo Anthony seems like a logical choice, but the purple and gold are also reportedly interested in Markieff Morris.

Recently, the name of Enes Kanter emerged in the list, although it has now become moot and academic. The Turkish center has signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, acquiring a sure double-double machine who could help out the wards of head coach Luke Walton. Kanter averaged 14.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game before he was bought out by the Knicks.

According to ESPN, the Lakers were one of the serious suitors for the services of Kanter before the latter agreed to sign up with the Trail Blazers. And while he does bring a double-double game, he does have flaws. He is woeful at the defensive end, meaning he could end up being a liability for the Lakers.

Aside from that, his relationship with LeBron James is in question. Kanter does not necessarily hold good rapport with James, something similar to the case of Lance Stephenson. But as most know, James and Stephenson found a way to co-exist – meaning James and Kanter could probably do the same.

Before ending up with the Blazers, other teams aside from the Lakers who were interested in getting Kanter include the Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics and the Houston Rockets. Apparently, most teams waited for him to get waived rather than embark on a trade, a financially logical one considering he carried a $27.9 million salary that would have been a problem for other teams, as covered in detail in a previous post.

With Kanter off the market, the Lakers will now have to decide on who between Anthony or Morris will get that last open slot. They could further skim the free agent market for other available players as they try to ramp up their bid for an NBA playoff spot.

The Lakers currently sit 10th in the Western Conference behind the Los Angeles Clippers and the Sacramento Kings. With 25 games remaining in the regular season, Walton and his boys need to find a way to get a string of victories to catch the last bus to the postseason wars.