According to reports, unrestricted free agent guard/forward Evan Turner has agreed to a contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. The deal will pay him $70 million over four years. The contract cannot officially be signed until the end of the NBA’s moratorium period on July 7th.
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical broke the news on Friday afternoon:
To clarify on Turner to Blazers deal: Turner has agreed to a four-year, $70M free agent deal.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2016
Report: Evan Turner Agrees to Contract with Portland Trail Blazers
Turner’s contract will take him through the end of the 2019-20 season. No player or team options in the deal have been disclosed yet.
Turner averaged 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game last season for the Boston Celtics. After being drafted second overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2010, Turner hasn’t developed into the star that many thought he would become. However, he started to find his niche the past two seasons in Boston as a versatile facilitator off the bench. He is also very durable, missing just two games in the past four seasons.
Looking forward, Turner will serve as a dependable asset off the bench, backing up both guard positions, as well as the small forward position for the Blazers. He’s one of the best bench players in the league and could be a dark horse candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. Turner could potentially even slide into the starting small forward spot, depending on how Portland views Al-Farouq Aminu. His unique blend of size, ball handling, passing, and scoring will make him a valuable contributor for the Blazers.
After signing Turner, Portland is now reportedly pursuing Pau Gasol to bolster its frontcourt.
Check out the LWOS 2016 NBA Free Agency Tracker for all of your NBA free agency coverage, and be sure to follow @LastWordHoops on Twitter to stay up-to-date with the latest NBA news.
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