Evan Turner reportedly agrees to 4-year deal with Blazers
The 6-foot-7 swingman will earn $70 million in his next deal
Evan Turner’s tenure as a Celtic has come to an end on the very first day of free agency. Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical was first to report Friday that the Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to a four-year, $70 million dollar deal with the 6-foot-7 swingman.
The former No. 2 overall pick averaged 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists over 27.8 minutes per game during his two seasons in Boston. Brad Stevens relied heavily on Turner to captain the team’s second unit offense last season, which helped the 27-year-old finish fifth overall in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
The Celtics showed interest in bringing back Turner this offseason, but Danny Ainge could not afford to bring back Turner at that price and still have enough salary cap space to chase top free agents like Kevin Durant and Al Horford. Boston taking small forward Jaylen Brown with the No. 3 overall pick also should help replace Turner’s versatility on the defensive end of the floor.
In Portland, Turner will join a young dynamic backcourt that includes Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. The Trail Blazers advanced to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs last season and have enough cap space to add more big names to the roster this offseason.
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