Former NBA guard Evan Turner recalled receiving a $250,000 offer from the Los Angeles Lakers during free agency before eventually signing a two-year, $6.7 million contract with the Boston Celtics.
Turner explained that he struggled to attract interest after his disappointing stint with the Indiana Pacers.
He said the Lakers contacted him in August, but his conversation with then-general manager Mitch Kupchak quickly became frustrating.
“Free agency comes out and July 1st my phone ain’t ring. Then we get all the way to August, Mitch Kupchak called me and he’s like, ‘What do you do?’ And I’m like, ‘I dribble, I attack, I shoot.’ And he’s like, ‘You know that’s what Kobe do.’”
Turner was surprised by Kupchak’s response, particularly because the Lakers had struggled in previous seasons.
He also believed the proposed salary was far below what he deserved.
“I’m like, ‘I didn’t ask to do what Kobe do. With all due respect Mitch, I’m not saying I’m the best, but y’all like 0 and forever the past 3 years and I average like 25 points. To offer me a quarter, I’ll get it off the block.’”
The former No. 2 overall pick admitted that his reaction reflected the frustration he was experiencing at that point in his career.
“Honestly, I’m never like that. But at the same time, for a quarter million, like seriously, might as well throw my life away and get it off the block. That’s ignorantly speaking but that’s how I thought at the time. Luckily, shout out to Brad Stevens, he like, ‘Bro, I can’t let people do you like that.’ I don’t know what change he found but he gave me a little bit of money and like no joke, helped me get my career back.”
Turner credited Celtics coach Brad Stevens with helping him secure another opportunity in the NBA.
His move to Boston allowed him to rebuild his reputation after struggling to meet expectations in Philadelphia and Indiana.
“When I left that situation with the Pacers, you got to think I went from the Sixers, I was supposed to be a mega star and then I wasn’t and then shit just hit the ground. And you go to a real point, are you going overseas or you going to play and stay in fight. So that was some real ass shit. We laugh about it, I joke about it, but it was some real stuff and obviously it didn’t stay dark forever.”
Turner spent two seasons with the Celtics, averaging 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game during that period.
His performances in Boston helped him secure a four-year, $70 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2016, completing a significant turnaround after a difficult stretch in his career.
