9 Players the Boston Celtics held on to for way too long

Enes Freedom (2019-20; 21-22)

As one of the most polarizing players in the NBA in recent history, Enes Freedom, formerly known as Enes Kanter, is a player that the Boston Celtics could’ve probably done without giving two separate stints. Freedom originally signed a two-year deal with the Celtics during the summer of 2019. During that first season in Boston, Freedom would go on to average eight points and seven rebounds per game on 57 percent shooting from the field.

A few weeks into the 2020-21 season, the Celtics traded Freedom to the Portland Trail Blazers. Less than a year later, during the 2021 offseason, the Celtics decided it was a good idea to sign Freedom in free agency. Bringing Freedom back to Boston, his second stint with the Celtics was not nearly as successful (if that’s what you would categorize his first season with the team) as the first. In 35 games played for the Celtics, he averaged just four points and four rebounds with the team during the 2021-22 season.

On Valentine’s Day in 2022, Freedom was traded to the Houston Rockets and soon after waived. He would not play another game in the NBA. The fact that Freedom got two stints with the Celtics leads me to say that he was a player they held out hope for too long.