Kanter hesitant to leave U.S. over arrest fears

Portland center Enes Kanter won't travel to Toronto with the Trail Blazers over fears that he could be arrested. In January, the Turkish government submitted a notice to Interpol soliciting his arrest, and Kanter is hesitant to leave the United States.

Kanter, who joined the Trail Blazers earlier this month after his release from the New York Knicks, skipped a trip to London in January while with the Knicks over fears that he might be killed. "Because of one dictator, I can't go out and do my job. Pretty sad," Kanter told Trail Blazers' reporter Casey Holdahl about missing the game against the Raptors.

Kanter, a native of Turkey, is an outspoken critic of the country's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Kanter, 26, was detained in Romania for several hours the last time he travelled overseas. His Turkish passport was revoked in 2017.

In four games with Portland, Kanter is averaging 12.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists. --Field Level Media