Free agent big man Enes Kanter is signing with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Kanter began this season with the New York Knicks. He was bought out by the franchise last week so he could join a contender. He was being pursued by a bevy of teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers.
Enes Kanter confirmed the news on his Twitter account:
Enes Kanter has agreed to a deal with Portland, league sources tell ESPN
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 13, 2019
#RipCity pic.twitter.com/4dTLXyZedg
— Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) February 13, 2019
In 44 games this season, Enes Kanter is averaging 14.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest. The 26-year-old is shooting an efficient 53.6 percent from the field, 31.8 percent from beyond the arc and 81.4 percent from the free-throw line.
The Blazers are 33-23 on the season, good for fourth place in the Western Conference standings. Adding Enes Kanter to the roster gives Portland a big man off the bench who can score in bunches and rebound the ball at a high rate. This is a really solid addition for the Blazers, who now have Kanter, Jusuf Nurkić, Meyers Leonard and Jake Layman manning the front court.
It's all come full circle for Kanter, who signed a $70 million offer sheet with the Blazers in the summer of 2015. The Oklahoma City Thunder matched the offer sheet to keep him.
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