The Los Angeles Lakers are tirelessly looking to improve their current roster, and the latest player that they have reportedly set their sights on is big man Enes Kanter.
Free agent center Enes Kanter is expected to receive interest from the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics on June 30, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 26, 2019
The Lakers will have some competition in their pursuit of the Turkish national, as both the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics are also in the mix.
Kanter averaged 13.7 points and 9.8 rebounds during the 2018-19 regular season, but took his game to another level for long stretches during the Blazers’ postseason run to the Western Conference Finals.
He started out the playoffs with a bang in Game 1 versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, in which he recored 20 points and 18 rebounds in a 104-99 victory.
Kanter also played a huge role in the Blazers’ upset victory over the No. 2 seed Denver Nuggets in the conference semifinals. He averaged a double-double in the series all while battling against one of the best big men in the league in Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
Kanter is built in the mold of a classic center and has no ability to stretch the court, getting the vast majority of his points either in the paint or at the line. Still, he is a tenacious competitor and tends to be a fan favorite everywhere he goes.
One interesting aspect of the Lakers’ interest in Kanter revolves around his past rivalry with Lakers star LeBron James. Kanter and James were involved in an on-court incident when James was with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two have also enjoyed some lively back-and-forth conversation on social media.
Given the Lakers’ interest, it seems likely that both players are willing to put their past behind them if it means competing for a championship in L.A.
