Evan Turner Will Give Boston a Discount

With all the uncertainty surrounding Evan Turner‘s status with the Boston Celtics, it appease as though it may be much less of an issue than expected. In addition to his unwavering support on the court, Brad Stevens has already expressed how he wants to have Turner back next season. Now, Turner has answered the biggest question by demonstrating his willingness to give Boston a discount.

According to CSNNE, this is what Turner had to say when he was asked about giving the Celtics a discount in free agency, “Of course. I joke with people, this is the first time I left an exit interview and the team wanted me back. I don’t take that lightly, you know what I’m saying? At the end of the day, I’m grateful for that.”. With Stevens wanting Turner in Boston and Turner willing to sacrifice to say, there should be nothing getting in their way of getting a deal done.

While Turner may not be a top player for the Celtics, he has proven he can fill a valuable role off the bench, and Stevens is always interested in finding ways to use his talents. Now that Turner is no longer the liability riddled inconsistent player from a year ago, the Celtics should be willing to give him an opportunity to continue to grow with the only team that has given him a real chance.

With the expected upcoming cap increase, the idea that any player would be willing to give any team a discount is a little far fetched. Turner, however, is a special case with the Celtics and short of completely revamping their back court in free agency and the draft, there is a place for Turner on the team.

The Celtics did a great job of solidifying the future of the back court with 3 first round draft picks being used on guards in the last 2 drafts. If the Celtics decide to continue to draft guards, or go after guards in free agency then there may not be a plaice for Turner on the team. The reality of the situation is that Turner is much more valuable to the Celtics than the majority of their front court. If the Celtics are looking to get their biggest improvement, they should continue to use Turner while using their assets to give their front court the boost it needs.

With Stevens’ love and support for Turner it would be a big surprise to see Danny Ainge and the Celtics’ front office disagree with him enough to let Turner walk after his comments about a discount. Stevens has done everything to earn the trust of the Celtics’ front office and he knows Turner on the court better than perhaps anyone else. Turner still has a lot of room to improve and Stevens believes in his future with the Celtics. Especially with a discount, that should be enough for the Celtics to at least give Turner a few more years in Boston.

There is no telling where Turner would be without the Celtics and, at least this season, Turner made the Celtics a better team. Until Turner becomes completely obsolete with better talent on the team across the board, there is no reason to let him walk under market value.

The Celtics do not want Turner to have too much responsibility but in his reduced role this season he gave them great value and depth, and solidified a core of guards that is growing into one of the most promising in the league. The Celtics had enough success with their back court that they can let their talent play out.

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Even if it is just until Rozier and Hunter can take over bigger roles, the Celtics can use Turner, and Turner can certainly use the Celtics. With both sides appearing to be on the same page, it is time to expect Turner to be back with the Celtics next season.