2) Chicago Bulls free agent targets that fit well with Donovan: Enes Kanter
What better way for the Bulls to know that they have a possible good fit in a free agent target with their newly hired skipper Donovan than signing someone that he coached up with the Thunder. That’s where going after the 6-foot-10 and 250 pound Swiss Boston Celtics big man Enes Kanter could work well in the Windy City.
The 28-year-old veteran journeyman has now spent nine years in the NBA, with five different teams already. He played one season each with the Celtics and Portland Trail Blazers, two with the Knicks, three with the Thunder, and four with the Jazz. During the shortened 2019-20 regular season, Kanter played in 58 games with the Celtics (seven of which he started in).
And Kanter averaged 8.1 points per game, 7.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks. Kanter shot 57.2 percent from the field, 14.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 70.7 percent from the free-throw line. And that amounted to a very solid 1.5 box plus/minus rating, 0.9 value over replacement player rating, .214 win shares per 48 minutes, 4.4 total win shares, 59.9 true shooting percentage, and 22.4 player efficiency rating.
Kanter is one of the best scorers from inside the two-point arc that the Bulls could find on the free agent market for this cycle. There certainly wouldn’t be much of any defensive value that Kanter would bring to the table in Chicago, but he’s one of the best offensive big men that the Bulls could sign to come off the bench.
This offseason, Kanter has a player option. If he picks it up, then Kanter is due around $5 million next year. But it’s likely that he will opt out and hit the free agent market to get a pay bump.