2019 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Enes Kanter: 2 years, $9.8 million (Boston Celtics)
Enes Kanter is signing a two-year, $10M deal with the Celtics, with a second-year player option, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2019
Replacing Al Horford with Enes Kanter isn’t going to go well for the Boston Celtics if no other moves are coming to address the frontcourt, but in a vacuum, adding a capable backup like this for the room exception represents pretty great value.
Though Kanter is often criticized for his porous defense and off-court corniness, he’s capable of filling up a stat sheet. He held his own for the Portland Trail Blazers in their conference finals run despite Jusuf Nurkic being out, and he wasn’t unplayable as he’s frequently been labeled.
Averaging 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in just 22.6 minutes per game for the Blazers last year, Kanter can have a solid impact as long as his minutes aren’t extended. He’s a force on the offensive glass and a go-to option down low, but if he’s starting at center for the Celtics in 2019-20, this team is in serious trouble.
Grade: B-