You can't pass Go without crossing Luxury Tax.
It's a reality in Monopoly, and it's one the Oklahoma City Thunder appear to be embracing as they look to push for a championship in Kevin Durant's walk year. Previously cautious of the tax line, the Thunder have continued to make moves that suggest they're willing to eat a tax bill for the first time in 2015-16.
To that end, the Thunder will work quickly to lock up restricted free agent Enes Kanter on a lucrative deal, according to a report from Shams Charania of RealGM.
The two sides will meet in Chicago when free agency opens Wednesday, where they'll discuss three- and four-year deals that could pay Kanter close to the maximum after incentives, according to Charania. Kanter's maximum salary for year one of the deal would be $15.8 million, which seems excessive given that he's a one-way player and the Thunder have frontcourt depth.
But Charania said "close" to the max, and incentives are tricky under the collective bargaining agreement. Incentives deemed as "unlikely to be achieved" don't count against team salary and can account for up to 15 percent of a player's salary. So Kanter, for example, could earn a $13-million salary with $1.95 million in incentives, getting him within $1 million of the max if he delivers.
Paying Kanter $13 million, as an estimate, would give the Thunder an estimated $90.2 million in salary committed to 14 players, including first-round pick Cameron Payne. That's well beyond the estimated $81.6-million luxury tax threshold for 2015-16, and well past the tax apron that restricts further player movement.
Kanter is a nice offensive player, but the Thunder weren't any better with him on the floor after he was acquired in a three-team deal that saw Oklahoma City surrender Reggie Jackson, a future first-round pick, and more. He averaged 15.5 points and 8.9 rebounds while shooting 51.9 percent, numbers that spiked when he landed in Oklahoma City, but he's a below-average defender, and the Thunder already have Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison, Steve Novak, Steven Adams, and Mitch McGary under guaranteed contracts.
While Kanter is believed to have other suitors waiting, including the Dallas Mavericks, it's tough to see him leaving Oklahoma City if Charania's report is accurate. The Thunder may be best served by letting Kanter sign an offer sheet on the open market and then matching it, as it's difficult to envision a team going the full max for him.
