Enes Kanter Freedom claims eight additional players from the NBA, G League, and Europe are prepared to join his attempt to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft. The move serves as a protest against transgender eligibility rules and highlights the pay gap between the G League and top WNBA salaries.
Enes Kanter Freedom says he has recruited eight other basketball players who are prepared to follow his controversial attempt to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft if the league does not change its eligibility rules.
In a new post on X, the former NBA center said he has spoken with two former NBA players, three G League players and three players currently competing in Europe.
“So far, I’ve spoken with: 2 former NBA players, 3 G-League players, 3 European players,” Kanter wrote.
“They have all said that if the WNBA doesn’t change the rules, they’re ready to join the movement and are considering coming out as women and putting their names in the 2027 WNBA Draft.”
Kanter did not identify any of the eight players, and his claim that they are considering joining him has not been independently confirmed.
Kanter continues pressure on WNBA
The latest post comes after Kanter previously announced that he intends to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft as part of his protest over transgender eligibility in women’s sports. The WNBA has not confirmed that Kanter would actually be eligible to participate in the draft.
Kanter also made player salaries part of his argument, contrasting what he described as a $45,000 annual G League salary with the WNBA’s new maximum salary.
“The NBA G-League pays players $45,000 a year, while the WNBA top players earn $1.4 Million,” Kanter wrote. “Those ‘men’ could earn an extra $1,355,000 a year by just identifying as women. Rules are rules.”
The $1.4 million figure corresponds with the maximum salary introduced under the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement for the 2026 season. The league’s average salary also increased to approximately $583,000 under the new deal.
The WNBA has recently said there is no current eligibility issue involving transgender players and that no transgender woman has played in the league during its history. The league has also criticized what it described as “bad-faith efforts” to demean or marginalize people while discussions around transgender participation continue.
Kanter, however, is now threatening to expand his protest beyond himself, claiming eight additional players from NBA, G League and European basketball backgrounds are prepared to consider entering the 2027 draft alongside him if the rules remain unchanged.
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