July 1st update: According to renowned sports journalist Adrian Wojnarowski, the Boston Celtics have agreed to a one-year contract extension with center Luke Kanter.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but given Boston’s salary cap situation, it is almost certain that this is another veteran minimum contract, projecting Kanter’s salary for next season to be $2.8 million.
Kanter has played a crucial role off the bench for the Celtics over the past two seasons and earned regular rotation minutes in this year’s championship run. In the regular season, he appeared in 63 games, starting seven, averaging 15.6 minutes per game, contributing 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds.
Recently, Kristaps Porzingis announced he will undergo surgery and be sidelined for five to six months, which means he won’t return until the end of the year. Additionally, to avoid overburdening the 38-year-old Al Horford, the Celtics needed a reliable big man on their bench. Re-signing Kanter addresses this immediate need.
Kanter began his NBA career with the New York Knicks in 2017 and has also played for the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Milwaukee Bucks before joining Boston. He will once again become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
