AUGUST 13: Kanter has officially signed his contract, according to a team press release.
“Enes has a unique ability to both score and rebound. Beyond his on-court contributions, he is a great teammate. We are thrilled he chose to return to Boston,” Celtics president Brad Stevens said in a statement.
AUGUST 4, 11:21am: Kanter’s one-year deal will be worth $2.7MM, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).
The veteran’s minimum for a player with Kanter’s 10+ years of experience is about $2.64MM, so it sounds this will be a minimum-salary contract.
However, Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link) says there’s still a chance the C’s could bump up that number and use part of the mid-level exception to complete the signing, depending on how the rest of the week plays out. Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link) hears that the club has “three or four balls still in the air,” albeit nothing too major.
10:58am: The Celtics have reached an agreement to bring back veteran center Enes Kanter on a one-year contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Kanter has bounced back and forth between Boston and Portland during the last few seasons. He finished the 2018/19 campaign with the Trail Blazers, spent ’19/20 with the Celtics, rejoined the Blazers for ’20/21, and is now headed back to the C’s for the coming season.
Kanter is a reliable scorer and rebounder, who played in all 72 games for Portland in 2020/21 and averaged a double-double (11.2 PPG, 11.0 RPG) while logging just 24.4 minutes per game. He’s not a strong defender, but he’ll fill a hole in the Celtics’ frontcourt following the departure of veteran center Tristan Thompson, who is being traded to Sacramento.
It’s an interesting signing from an optics standpoint for the Celtics, who essentially salary-dumped Kanter a year ago when they sent his contract to Memphis along with the No. 30 pick in the draft (Desmond Bane) in exchange for two future second-rounders. A year later, new president of basketball operations Brad Stevens is signing up for a reunion with the 29-year-old.
Come on Boston! Really..bringing him back??
Have you guys noticed that the Trailblazers have been maybe the most quite team in the draft/free agency. Coming off the heels of Dame threatening to leave unless the team improves…. See you in NOLA Mr. Time.
He can’t just leave. He has a contract.
Well this is the NBA, so maybe contracts don’t really matter. Harden and Davis pretty much proved that superstar crybabies can get whatever they want.
Dame wants to play for a winner. NOLA doesn’t fit that mold.
Looks like he’s bicoastal. As long as he doesn’t have to travel to Europe for any games like that London series a couple years ago, he’s safe from Erdogan’s reach.
It’s fine
Next season he will play for Blazers
OMG, A DANNY AINGE MOVE, come on Stevens
Celtics and Blazers passing him around like candy
it’s like trying to decide between which of your exs sucks the worst when you should be going to baskin-robbins.
Lakers need a big, cause Gasol and Howard won’t give you big minutes. Thought about Kanter the other day. He’s pretty reliable in his role and doesn’t get injured. Good job bringing him back.
Well they have ad and who knows with all the moves you might see him at center more . Howard still good for 15-20 a night . Gasol about the same
I thought about Kanter as well 48 hrs ago but I think they will target a more defensive versatile 3/4 after the Melo signing
Ofc It won’t be a great defender but maybe a Millsap if he goes min over a Kanter…debatable he’d go min and I know he’s not great defensively but compared to Kanter he would be and can switch a little better
Kanter was off & on injured with the Celtics but played thru them.
If it doesn’t work the first time, try and try again ..
It wasn’t that he didn’t work the first time in Boston. It was that they had the chance to dump his salary and now have a chance to get him back cheap
I know, it’s not that deep bro
I still cannot believe that Basketball Reference thinks Kanter has been more productive in his career than Klay Thompson. 51 win shares for Kanters vs 46 win shares for Klay. It’s just mind boggling.
What are you trolling about?
If you don’t like my comments, the mute button is free. Here I’ll show you.
Considering Kanter has played on worse teams with lesser no players, if you understand win shares it’s not that mind boggling
Wonder who will not get minutes at center in Boston now.
Brad that desperate and dumb yall got 4 centers cool lets grab another one thAt won’t help slow the team down too lmao boston gonna be a 6th seed watch
I mean, yeah they will be a 6 seed. They know they’ll be a 6 seed. You seem to be missing something.
they are going to try and clear salary and go all in next year.
Wow Celtics pick up big !!!!! Who Knew
Now what’s wrong with Whiteside at minimum ….
Where are the trolls now. Wes Unseld wants to explain the word true Center to you.
Tako is no longer a Celtic …..
Wow. Ok. You won. You are right. Now that the Celtics have acquired Enes Kanter, they are guaranteed to win the Eastern Conference.
I don’t think he said signing Kanter would make them a contender. Nice goal post moving.
You missed his postings on another thread. He believes that a player has to be at least 7 feet tall to be a TRUE CENTER. So, guys like Wes Unseld, even though he is in the HoF as a Center, and was 6’7″, can’t be Centers.
One of the best rebounders in the NBA. Not a bad thing for short money.
It’s all about not spending money by the Celtics this season. Seems that’s Stevens job. Next may be bringing back IT without the Brinks Truck.
This is going to be quite a season for the Boston Celtics new coach Ime Udoka! He’s got two young stars, Jayson & Jaylen, & then a whole bunch of cheap contracts. So no expectations at all, even about making the playoffs, which means no pressure.
Really? There was no one else?
Why? My recollection is that he didn’t work out