Right now we are in the “there’s a lot of talking” phase of the trade season — the trade deadline is Feb. 20 and GMs around the league are trying to gauge the value of their players and see what other teams are asking for theirs. Names such as Arron Afflalo and Glen Davis in Orlando, Pau Gasol, Trevor Ariza and a host of others are out on that market.
As is Evan Turner of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Turner is not surprised to hear his name called, he told the Sporting News. He’s just trying to be professional about it.The Sixers are eager to net a draft pick for Turner—they’ve also shopped free-agent-to-be center Spencer Hawes and forward Thaddeus Young—and that has been a hang-up in their efforts to find a trade.
The problem, one league executive said, is that Turner can become a restricted free agent this summer—or unrestricted, if the Sixers decide not to extend the $8.7 million qualifying offer he is slated for this offseason. If Turner is to become an unrestricted free agent, trading for him now makes little sense….
“I never expected to get a contract extension, especially when we switched GMs, you know?” Turner said. “I always said, Mr. Hinkie is going to do what he wants to do, and he has his own vision and everything like that. So when you trade an All-Star like Jrue, I mean, what occurs next isn’t going to surprise me. I was just trying my best to keep focused, keep helping the team win and getting better.”
When asked about all the trade rumors before the game, Sixers coach Brett Brown quipped he was surprised the roster had stayed intact this long.
Young is going to be attractive piece on the market, a swing man who gives a tea value on both ends of the court, plus a team would have him at least one year beyond this one, maybe two (Young has an early termination option in 2015).
But Turner and Hawes are a tougher sell because both will be on the market this summer (Hawes an unrestricted free agent).