Boston Celtics: 2 players on the hot seat during the Disney bubble

Boston Celtics player on the hot seat No. 2) Enes Kanter

About a year ago, when the Boston Celtics signed Enes Kanter to a two-year, $10 million contract, we here at the Houdini believed the acquisition to be quite grand. In fact, I even went as far as to say the signing was one of the biggest steals of the 2019 offseason.

I even went on to say:

"Though he may not have been the sexiest name on the open market, make no mistake about it Celtics fans, this is a great addition for the team. Throughout his eight years in the league, Kanter has proven to be a fantastic offensive weapon in the front court. While his career averages of 11.9 PPG and 7.6 RPG may not outright scream “game changer”, it is his per 36-minutes average that is what’s truly impressive. With the aforementioned addition in minutes per game, the center’s averages skyrocket to 19.3 PPG and 12.3 RPG on 54% shooting from the field. In comparison, these stat turnouts are actually even better than the per-36 averages of stars such as Nikola Vucevic, Paul Millsap, Marc Gasol and, interestingly enough, Al Horford."

Upon the contract agreement, it was a popular belief that Kanter was coming to the organization as the team’s primary option at center. However, as the offseason and preseason rolled along, it became clear that his services would be best suited coming off the pine in 2019-20.

An understandable resolution, as Kanter, for the majority of his career, has thrived when serving as a sixth or seventh man in a team’s rotation. With him in tow, it appeared the C’s bench was gearing up to be one of the best the league had to offer.

Fast forward a year later and you’ll find Kanter is averaging just 8.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Granted, he is shooting a solid 57 percent from the field, but as a whole, the once-promising second unit ranks an unflattering 22nd in the league in offensive rating and an abysmal second to last in points per game (27.2).

While Kanter was brought on to be an offensive enforcer for the Boston Celtics, it’s been clear he has not lived up to the promise his presence once brought.

While he’s talking a big talk heading into the Disney bubble, specifically pertaining to Boston’s chances of winning it all in 2020, should he follow-up his underwhelming regular season with a similar postseason, it wouldn’t come as a surprise should he find his name in trade rumors come the climax of the season.

Unlike Wanamaker, Kanter finds himself heading into the offseason with a player option, thus giving him control over his future. Should they wish to part with the Turkish born big, he would either need to opt-out of the final year of his contract — not that unlikely as he could theoretically make more than his $5 million a year salary — or, as previously alluded to, be traded.

We have faith in Kanter’s abilities, specifically as an offensive spark-plug off the pine during the postseason. However, should he underwhelm, Danny Ainge could look to move on from the 28-year-old, especially if they utilize their draft picks to add rookie talent to their frontcourt and, in turn, need to create space.