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The Portland Trail Blazers signed Evan Turner to a substantial four-year, $70 million contract during NBA Free Agency in the summer of 2016. Turner, while a suitable role player, has drawn ire for his contract in comparison to on-court production. For this reason, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report names him as Portland’s least tradable contract:
Evan Turner’s contract earned brief reprieve from sweeping criticism at the beginning of this season. Oh, it still looked bad. It will always look bad. But the Blazers surged out to a 10-3 start with Turner captaining an all-bench mob that was deconstructing opposing offenses.
Those feel-good vibes have since faded. Portland is 25th in net rating since its opening onslaught and is struggling to hang on the defensive end. Turner is hardly the primary culprit of this demise, but his inside-the-arc game is predictable. The Blazers are easier to guard even when he’s shooting well, and it shows. Their net rating has dropped by more than 8.5 points per 100 possessions during this stretch with him on the court.
Once more, with feeling: This isn’t meant to pinpoint Turner as the root cause of Portland’s problems. He’s not. But relative to the on-court value he provides, his contract is still this team’s least movable asset.
Former Blazer Allen Crabbe made the list for the Brooklyn Nets. You can read Favale’s entire list here.
What do you believe is Portland’s least tradable contract? Let us know in the comments.