The New York Knicks will have a new face at the head coach position next season, so it wouldn't be surprising to see new faces arrive across the board. One player that wants to stay put though is Enes Kanter.

However, the Knicks center wants to be in New York for longer than just next season, so he's open to doing something to try and extend his stay with the team he has now been with now for a season, which is opting out of his current contract.

Kanter said to the media this week that he is leaning towards exercising his $18.6 million player option in order to seek a long-term deal this summer.

Kanter said, according to the New York Daily News: “You could say that, yes (I’m leaning toward opting out). I’m not saying I’m in or out 100 percent. I’m just saying I want to stay here long-term because it’s always weird just having one year and then leave and come back. I’d rather stay long- term.”

Since the Knicks are in the middle of a rebuild, they would have preferred for Kanter to play on the last year of his contract so they have another season to see if he would be worth the long-term investment which he is asking for.

The center has expressed a desire to end his career in New York, despite only being 25. Kanter is the best player they have at center, but the Knicks would prefer him to play one more year before giving him another deal.

“I told everybody I want to retire as a Knick,” Kanter said. “But I understand it’s a business but I told everybody I want to make New York my home.”

The Knicks would have much preferred to hold onto their cap space until bigger stars in the NBA become available to sign in the 2019 free agency, so if Kanter does opt out of his current deal, they might not be that aggressive to re-sign him, especially with potential better options available in a years time.

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