NBA Free Agency 2019: 5 underrated early signings

5. Enes Kanter, Boston Celtics

Terms: Two years, $10 million (per Shams Charania of The Athletic)

In terms of star power, the Boston Celtics have certainly been involved so far in 2019 NBA free agency. Danny Ainge’s team saw both Kyrie Irving and Al Horford opt to head elsewhere in the league, the Nets and 76ers, respectively. However, they were able to compensate for Irving’s departure by landing Kemba Walker. That still left them with a thin frontcourt rotation without Horford, though.

Signing Enes Kanter to a two-year deal is certainly a move that’s in response to that. No one is going to mistake the center who spent the end of the 2018-19 season with the Portland Trail Blazers as a 1-to-1 replacement for Horford, but he does offer plenty of upside for the Celtics, particularly in regards to his scoring and rebounding.

Kanter has been consistently strong in both regards over the past few seasons and should maintain that at just 27 years old. Last season with the Trail Blazers and New York Knicks, the No. 3 pick from 2011 averaged 20.1 points and 14.5 rebounds per 36 minutes while shooting 54.9 percent from the floor. Offering that to a frontcourt that featured mostly just potential in either regard without Horford is invaluable.

Again, Kanter is not going to be an outright replacement for Horford, particularly with the Turkish big man’s deficiencies on the defensive end of the floor. But if you’re looking at cost-effective ways to try and replace a player like Horford and some of his production, agreeing to a deal with Kanter is a great way to go about it.