Evan Turner, four years, $70 million, Portland Trail Blazers
Turner’s contract didn’t make sense when it was signed and it doesn’t make sense now. This isn’t so much a case of decline as it is a case of simply overpaying someone.
Turner shot 42.6 percent from the field with a heavy dose of mid-range shots. He rarely took a three and when he did, Turner shot just 26.3 percent. He averaged 12.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists per 36 minutes and had an 11.4 PER while playing lackluster defense. In other words, Evan Turner is exactly what we thought he was.
Exactly why Blazers general manager Neil Olshey devoted $70 million to a player who had similar numbers to those last year and the year before is a question without an answer. Turner has never had a PER above the league average of 15 — in fact, he’s never had a PER above 14, and his main skill is offense.
The Blazers managed to stay above water this year and made the playoffs, but in signing Turner (and Allen Crabbe; more on him in a bit), they’ve handicapped themselves for the future. Olshey’s goal heading into last summer was to take the next step and turn Portland into a title contender. Instead, he may have prevented it from becoming one.