The Portland Trail Blazers gained a significant pickup in the always solid Evan Turner. Whatever job you give him he gets it done. With that pickup the Blazers were willing to let Allen Crabbe go and in my opinion, the Blazers upgraded. You know what you’re going to get with Turner.
But he didn’t move without some hesitation, he liked life as a member of the Boston Celtics, but when they offer a pay cut, sometimes business overlaps.
“Much more than the money,” he said, “I’m going to a great fit.”
“I already knew if I came back I’d have to take a pay cut and a cut in role,” Turner said. “It was kind of like a glass ceiling there for me, and I’m entering my prime. If I came back I would have probably made half of what I got.”
“It’s tough to leave,” he said. “I liked Boston a lot, bro. The organization, and it’s just a sports city and the city is super nice. If you put money and everything aside, I would play in Boston every single day of the week. Seeing all those Hall of Famers come back and everything, that’s a real franchise.
“I was just having fun playing again. When I played in Philly, it was pure hell. But to go to Boston and rock out and play was crazy. And to play in Portland is going to be fun, too.”
Evan Turner hasn’t had the most fun career ever and hopefully he has success in Portland. Because it’s clear that he found a home in Boston. Not every player finds somewhere that makes them comfortable, Evan Turner found his and has left it. Hopefully it doesn’t effect him too much.
