NBA: How the 6 best free agents/buyout candidates can help their new teams

Evan Turner

New Team: N/A

Like Marvin Williams, Evan Turner has never and will never live up to the standard of being a second overall pick. But during his time in Boston and Philadelphia, he showed that he can be an effective player coming off the bench when used correctly.

When Turner prioritized financial security during the crazy 2016 cap spike summer and signed with Portland, the fit was questionable from the start.

With C. J. McCollum and Damian Lillard handling most of the ball-handling duties, Turner’s strength of passing and initiating an offense became redundant. And given how Turner has never been a good 3-point shooter, teams were able to basically sag off and dare him to shoot.

If traction emerges from Chris Haynes’ report, and Turner eventually chooses to sign with the Clippers, it might turn into a situation similar to the one he had in Portland in terms of not being able to have his strengths maximized. Jackson, Williams, George, Leonard, Beverley, and Shamet all on one team? If his goal is to ring chase then the move would definitely make more sense.

However, one must keep in mind, no official signing has been made at this point, so a return to Boston is still a possibility as well, which wouldn’t be the worse idea since the Celtics’ depth is atrocious, and Turner would likely serve as the primary ball-handler off the bench.