The Portland Trail Blazers are acquiring Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter in a three-way deal that also includes the Memphis Grizzlies, sources tell ESPN.
The Grizzlies gets Mario Hezonja and the 30th pick (Desmond Bane) from draft-night deals as part of the trade. The Celtics get a future Memphis draft consideration.
Kanter returns to the Blazers, where he had a terrific stretch after signing as a buyout free agent in 2019. In 23 games with Portland, Kanter averaged 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds.
Kanter’s $5 million salary slides into Portland’s $7 million trade exception and allows the Blazers again pair Jusuf Nurkic with Kanter, a model that helped lead Portland to the Western Conference finals.
Nurkic suffered an injury late that season, but now he’ll be the starter with Kanter as the backup.
Zach Collins, who missed most of the 2019-20 season due to injuries, is recovering from ankle surgery.
