The Boston Celtics have a plethora of picks in tonight’s NBA draft, which they will hope can translate to a superstar to help them become contenders in the Eastern Conference. If that fails, they’ll have to focus all their efforts towards the free agency starting in July. The Celtics have a few of their own free agents, including forward Evan Turner.
After struggling for a couple of years in the league, it seems like Turner has been rejuvenated, providing offensive sparks off the bench for the Celtics this year. He averaged 10 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, while shooting 45% from the field. The unrestricted free agent has received interest from a number of teams including the Knicks, but now his hometown team the Chicago Bulls seem interested as well. According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News:
Also at issue is Evan Turner, who is an unrestricted free agent. Ideally, the Celtics would be able to make their pitches to some of the high-level players available in free agency, like Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Ryan Anderson and the like, and if they strike out, come back to Turner with an offer. But Turner, a source said, will not only get interest from the Knicks but from Turner’s hometown Bulls as well. If those teams are aggressive in pursuing Turner, the Celtics would have to make a quick decision on him, too.
Turner could be a potential scorer for any team he signs with. His ability to create a shot for himself and for others on his team, makes him a player that will be highly sought after during this offseason. The Celtics have said that they want to have Turner back, and Turner wants to go back to Boston, but offers from his hometown and other destinations won’t be ignored. Although Turner is not the Celtics first priority, they’ll definitely want to retain Turner’s talents.
