Getty Enes Kanter
The Boston Celtics continue to overhaul their roster with a new-look core after losing both Kyrie Irving and Al Horford in free agency. The team made an immediate splash out of the gate on Sunday when free agency began by adding Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker and have now added a new big man to the mix.
As The Athletic’s Shams Charania first reported, Walker signed a four-year, $141 million contract with the Celtics.
Kemba Walker plans to commit to a four-year, $141M maximum contract with the Boston Celtics after free agency opens on Sunday, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
The Celtics were linked to a number of other players as of late, but one big question was how they would address the frontcourt. As Charania also reported on Monday, the team came to terms on a deal with former Portland Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter on a two-year, $10 million contract.
Enes Kanter is signing a two-year, $10M deal with the Celtics, with a second-year player option, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
With the new names now in the mix, we’re going to take a look at the Celtics roster along with their starting lineup as free agency rolls on.
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Celtics Roster & Starting Lineup With Kemba Walker & Enes Kanter
*Notates expected starter
C: Enes Kanter*, Robert Williams, Guerschon Yabusele
PF: Gordon Hayward*, Semi Ojeleye, Grant Williams
SF: Jayson Tatum*
SG: Jaylen Brown*, Romeo Langford
PG: Kemba Walker* Marcus Smart, Carsen Edwards, Tremont Waters
While the Celtics and Irving parted ways, as their former guard signed with the Brooklyn Nets, the loss of Horford was a tough blow, considering he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics proceeded to add Kanter as a new key member of their frontcourt, an area that certainly needed an upgrade through free agency.
Although Robert Williams is a player with upside and Semi Ojeleye can be a solid role player, neither one is likely ready to jump into the starting lineup. In turn, it’s expected that the Celtics will add at least one or two more big men in the coming days and weeks of free agency.
Celtics’ Potential Free Agent Targets Moving Forward
While Kanter is a strong addition, especially at that price tag, I’d be interested to see the Celtics consider a potential pairing with DeMarcus Cousins. Going beyond that and looking at the power forward position, a reunion with Marcus Morris could make a lot of sense, especially depending on his contract demands.
The Celtics could even go as far as considering a Morris brother pairing by bringing in Markieff, who spent the end of last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. A few other noteworthy names who are unlikely to break the bank include Kenneth Faried, Ivica Zubac and Kevon Looney as options.
The positive news for Boston is that there are a number of options on the open market still, specifically in the frontcourt. While there’s an obvious need to fill out the roster, the Celtics could be targeting a few cost-effective additions as free agency rolls on.
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