Trail Blazers acquire Enes Kanter in trade with Celtics and Grizzlies

Center Enes Kanter is heading west to a familiar destination. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Friday afternoon that the Portland Trail Blazers are bringing Kanter back in a three-team trade that includes the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies. 

While Kanter will move from Boston to Portland, Portland's Mario Hezonja and first-round draft pick Desmond Bane are heading to Memphis. The Celtics are receiving a future Memphis draft consideration. 

Kanter signed with the Trail Blazers in February 2019 after he was waived by the New York Knicks, and the 28-year-old found success during his brief stint at Portland. He averaged 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in 23 regular-season games and then recorded 11.4 points and 9.6 rebounds in 16 postseason games and 14 starts. 

Kanter signed a two-year contract worth nearly $10 million with Boston the subsequent July. In Portland, Kanter will serve as a backup for Jusuf Nurkic.

Nurkic suffered a gruesome leg injury in March 2019 and missed the entire 2019-20 regular season through the Association's pause this past March caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He returned to the court for the league's summer resumption held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, where Portland fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening round of the playoffs.