HoopsHype.com Rumors

Enes Kanter: Pimp Daddy wants to say Happy Valentine's day to all my sweeties. I just LOVE you all <3 pic.twitter.com/r26fYdve Twitter

Utah Jazz, Enes Kanter 

Bill Oram: Jazz C @Enes_Kanter knows about @hoopshype's Tweeter of the Year contest, but has bigger dreams. "“I want my reality show,” he said. Twitter @tribjazz

Utah Jazz, Twitter, Enes Kanter 

Bill Oram: For what it's worth, Kanter said he doesn't want to win @hoopshype contest because the Jazz would pay closer attention to his tweets. Twitter @tribjazz

Utah Jazz, Twitter, Enes Kanter 

Enes Kanter sat out Friday's game because of the sprained right ankle he suffered Wednesday night against Minnesota. As such, it was no surprise to see him soaking his foot in a tub before tipoff. The contents of his bucket were surprising. The big plastic tub contained some ice, some cold water and some soggy popcorn. Popcorn!? Deseret News

Utah Jazz, Injuries, Enes Kanter 

A smiling Kanter's explanation: Tinsley supposedly told him popcorn has special healing powers. Tinsley joked back that Kanter acts like he was born in a barn. It was natural to put some corn in that particular trough, right? Deseret News

Utah Jazz, Injuries, Enes Kanter, Jamaal Tinsley 

The Jazz view themselves as a playoff contender, and as long as that remains the case dealing a player like Millsap or even Jefferson remains a low-priority items, according to sources. Of the two, Millsap seems to be the easiest player to trade, mainly because Jazz reserve Derrick Favors is clearly ready to play a bigger role. Moving Al Jefferson is a bit of a different story because his back up, Enes Kanter, isn’t nearly as evolved. Several of the Jazz players that spoke with HOOPSWORLD said they believed Favors was clearly ready for a bigger role, although Kanter, while having shown flashes of ability this season, still has more work to do, especially on his body. HoopsWorld

Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Trade, Al Jefferson, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter 

Bill Oram: Enes Kanter heard this morning about Mehmet Okur's retirement from basketball. "I was a Utah Jazz fan, just because of him," Kanter said. Twitter @tribjazz

Utah Jazz, Mehmet Okur, Enes Kanter 

If you have to deal Harden in exchange for financial breathing room, the dream scenario is to land a sure-thing player in the beginning stages of his rookie deal. A big man trumps a guard. Presti likely started with Anthony Davis before mulling over names like Klay Thompson, Utah's young bigs (Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter), Bradley Beal, Jonas Valanciunas (with Jose Calderon's expiring deal), and maybe one or two others before landing on Houston.1 Thompson would have been an especially nice fit. It's not hard to argue the Thunder could survive the loss of Harden if in return they received an elite shooter capable of some ballhandling duties and at least average defense on the wing. Subtract Harden, and the Thunder don't have much outside shooting on the floor at once; spacing can become an issue for them. Grantland

Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Trade, Derrick Favors, James Harden, Enes Kanter, Jonas Valanciunas, Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Bradley Beal 

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has elected to exercise its fourth-year team options for forwards Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward, as well as the third-year team options on guard Alec Burks and center Enes Kanter. The options for all four players are through the 2013-14 season. Per team policy, financial terms were not released. NBA.com

Utah Jazz, Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward, Enes Kanter, Alec Burks 

The instruction extends beyond Kanter. Jefferson works with Derrick Favors, Jeremy Evans and other post players. But those relationships aren’t the same. They don’t seem to have the same playful admiration. "It seems like they were made for each other," forward Paul Millsap said. "They bond real well, they get along real well, despite the rookie hazing he was doing with him last year." Asked after Saturday’s win how he would reward Kanter for being a receptive student, Jefferson said, "I’m gonna knock him on the side of the head. That’s what I’m going to do for him. Tough love." Salt Lake Tribune

Utah Jazz, Al Jefferson, Derrick Favors, Paul Millsap, Jeremy Evans, Enes Kanter 

Jefferson’s relationship with Kanter, the Jazz top pick in the 2011 draft, is generally known to be that of a teasing big brother, chiding him for child-like bursts and keeping him in line as a rookie last season. But Jefferson has also emerged as a patient counselor, working with Kanter on post moves with one commonly repeated direction: "Do what I do." The pair worked on that baseline jump shot in the pregame warm-ups of Saturday’s game, and when the player Jefferson calls "my young fella" followed through, Jefferson said he felt like a "proud father." The results have been undeniable. In the preseason, Kanter is averaging 11 points and 9.5 rebounds through six games, up from 4.6 and 4.2 a year ago. Kanter gives the credit to Jefferson. "He’s always trying to help me about anything," Kanter said, "about basketball or life. He says, ‘If you have any problems with anything, not just basketball, you can always come talk to me.’" Salt Lake Tribune

Utah Jazz, Al Jefferson, Enes Kanter 

Bill Oram: Al Jefferson was working closely with Enes Kanter today in practice. Heard him say, "Do what I do," to his protege. You hear guys talk about taking young players under their wing all the time, but rarely do you see it in action. Twitter @tribjazz

Utah Jazz, Al Jefferson, Enes Kanter 

Enes Kanter: Now time to have some fun. It's Saturday night and Enes Kanter is in L.A. Ohh yeahh, Y'all know what does that mean ;) Twitter

Utah Jazz, Enes Kanter 

Jody Genessy: Derrick Favors' assessment of Enes Kanter's dance: "Terrible. It was the worst worm I've ever seen." Twitter @DJJazzyJody

Utah Jazz, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter 

As for the weight loss, Kanter said he switched to a diet based primarily on seafood and salads. It raised a natural question with an unnatural answer: What was the 6-foot-11 20-year-old eating before? He broke it down thusly... "First my breakfast: I was eating like six eggs, omelet with six eggs; seven or eight pancakes, with sugar, whipped cream, everything; then a breakfast burrito. That was just my breakfast. Then I came to practice and my lunch was just like pasta, chicken alfredo or whatever, and then a burger and an appetizer. Dessert? No. Dessert was at dinnertime. Dinnertime I ate another burger, a big meal again and a dessert." Salt Lake Tribune

Utah Jazz, Enes Kanter 

After running through this, Kanter said he invented his own diet and, joking, guaranteed anyone who followed it would have abs like his. He was prepared to show them off before Jazz public relations staff intervened. Salt Lake Tribune

Utah Jazz, Enes Kanter 

Jody Genessy: To clarify about Kanter's weight loss, he gained 20-odd lbs when he returned home to Turkish grub and dropped 51 after returning to the U.S. Twitter @DJJazzyJody

Utah Jazz, Enes Kanter 

Jody Genessy: Enes Kanter agreed to let media take pics of his abs, but Jazz PR advised him to keep his jersey on. I volunteered my belly as a fill-in. Twitter @DJJazzyJody

Utah Jazz, Enes Kanter 

Brian T. Smith: Enes Kanter had a salad an seafood diet. Said he went from 293 to 242 pounds in two months. Reciting his old diet now. You don’t wanna know. Twitter @tribjazz

Utah Jazz, Enes Kanter 

Jody Genessy: Earl Watson on Enes Kanter's interesting summer tweets: "Enes needs his own reality show, 'Enes Comes To Salt Lake.'" Twitter @DJJazzyJody

Earl Watson, Enes Kanter