The Portland Trail Blazers made the first major move of their offseason following the NBA Draft, one head coach Terry Stotts believes will be an “excellent addition” to the roster. The Blazers traded Evan Turner for Kent Bazemore on Monday, giving them an agile wing who can give the backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum another perimeter option to target, as well as a good finisher in fast-break situations.
Stotts expressed gratitude for Turner's contributions during the last three seasons, but was happy about the new addition:
“We are going to miss Evan and all that he brought to our team, both on and off the court,” said Stotts, according to Dwight Jaynes of NBC Sports Northwest. “He was a high-quality person and player who positively impacted our team in many ways.
“Kent will add athleticism, scoring, shooting, and defense to our team. He will be an excellent addition to our roster and I’m excited for what he can bring to our team.”
Bazemore is only a year younger than Turner, but has been buried in a rebuild with the Atlanta Hawks that hasn't allowed him to play with much of a purpose. The Hawks were looking to trade him for the better part of last season.
Now that he has reached his new destination, the Blazers are hoping he can pick up from that career-best 2017-18 season in which he averaged 12.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting a dangerous 39.4% from beyond the arc — all attributes that will help Portland be a more dangerous threat in the West.
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