Ex-Portland Trail Blazer signing three – Evan Turner
Evan Turner may be the option that makes most sense for this team. The six-foot-six Turner played three seasons in Portland, and though he never lived up to the $70 million deal that Neil Olshey signed him to, he can add value on a lesser deal.
Turner’s main strength, is his versatility. As a six-foot-six wing he has always been one of the best passers at his size. Though Turner has never been a great shooter, he gets to the line and in the right lineups, he can be a plus NBA player.
After being traded from the Blazers to the Atlanta Hawks and then on to the Minnesota Timberwolves, there were rumors he would take a buyout to join a playoff team, but this didn’t eventuate.
Turner may be more than a minimum player moving forward, but his production and minutes per game dropping every year since 2015/16 doesn’t bode well for him getting another substantial deal. The Hawks had no backup point guard for a lot of 2019/20, and Turner still barely played.
Turner’s best role on an NBA team would be to add value on the defensive end while playmaking in the second unit. With Zach Collins, Gary Trent Jr., and Anfernee Simons, Turner would have enough shooting around him to make a strong second unit, while also being able to guard threes and fours.
Turner can still play in the NBA on the right team, but his value is hard to estimate. If he is available at around the minimum or a little bit more, then the Blazers could potentially look at him as a backup forward.
These three options aren’t overly exciting for fans, but with the need for shot creation and size all three could play some sort of a role if needed in the 2021 season.