(UPDATE: Evan Turner traded to Pacers)
Evan Turner probably doesn’t fit into Philadelphia’s long term plans. He’s likely to be traded by Thursday when the NBA Trade Deadline expires, and a scorer such as Turner will be in demand.
When the Philadelphia 76ers drafted Evan Turner #2 overall out of Ohio State in 2010, they thought they were selecting a franchise cornerstone. Finishing his college basketball career with the Buckeyes, he was as highly decorated as a player can be- sweeping all the national individual awards.
His rookie year did anything but live up to the hype however. Turner really struggled to find a position and his way in Coach Doug Collins‘ rotation. In 2011-12 he found himself somewhat as a one in the league. But in his debut season he was playing a lot of two and three. Hence, his rookie numbers were brutal.
The Chicago (St. Joseph’s High School) product earned more playing time and his numbers have improved across the board during his sophomore campaign. Then his scoring average increased his third season, and yet again this year. A 17.5 ppg scorer such as Evan Turner will command a fair amount on the NBA open market.
“I am excited to see what’s going to happen because it is like a riddle,” Evan Turner said to Dei Lynam of Comcast SportsNet. “Whatever happens, happens.”
The Charlotte Bobcats seem to be the front-runner, as we all heard the proposal of Ben Gordon and first round pick to Philly in return.
Then again, if you talk to other sources, Charlotte is not going to happen. So…..well, that’s happens this time of year. Lying and fake planted stories gets taken to an art form this time of year. Is Michael Jordan really that interested in bringing him to the Queen City?
Fox Sports 1 talking heads are saying the San Antonio Spurs are the best fit. One thing’s for sure- the 76ers are a rebuilding project. In a very weak Eastern Conference, they are not competitive at all, and likely to blow things up. They have to. And there are no indications at all that Evan Turner fits into their plans; and it’s not his fault.
This quote from 2012 by former Sixers Coach Doug Collins was very telling at the time, and is somewhat telling today.
“Unfortunately for him for our team, it’s just not constructed that he’s going to get those 30 something minutes every night, it’s a shame, it’s just the way we’re built.”
Collins went on to say it’s the personnel that impeded Evan Turner’s playing time, not Turner himself. That’s changed, as Turner is averaging 35+ minutes a game for the two seasons since. So Evan Turner is getting his playing time. But his status hasn’t changed enough for Philadelphia to keep him.
They’re going to blow things up. And when they do, they need some chips to send away. Other wise, they’re not going to get anything substantial in return. A scorer like Evan Turner is blue chip in this market.
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. An MBA and Fulbright scholar, he’s also a frequent analyst on news talk radio; with regular segments on ESPN,NBC, CBS and Fox. A former NBC Chicago and Washington Times writer, he’s also been featured on the History Channel. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)