CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Enes Kanter wants to get paid.
Endorsement money, that is.
Kanter indicated he’s close to signing with highly-respected agent Mark Bartelstein. But Kanter said it has more to do with getting some off-the-court deals than deciding whether to pick up his $18.6 million player option for next season.
He’s had trouble getting endorsement deals with U.S. companies because of his ongoing conflict with the Turkish government. If Kanter ever returns to Turkey, he faces more than four years in prison on charges that he insulted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Twitter.
“Outside of the court, I make almost no money because of all the Turkish stuff,” Kanter said.