5 Players The Lakers Can Sign To Fill Out Their Roster
By Jacob Rude
2. Evan Turner
May 15, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Evan Turner (12) dribbles the ball against the Washington Wizards in game six of the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Bear with me, Lakers fans. Many fans on Twitter are turned off at the idea of Turner. After stuffing the stat sheet in Philly last season, a trade to Indiana severely hindered his play style and will eventually cost Turner millions of dollars. However, fans are too quick to remember his time in Indiana and less eager to remember those 76ers days when he was a do-it-all perimeter player.
In 54 games with Philly last year, Turner averaged 17.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and was the catalyst of that team. Understandably, the team was bad and the stats were padded, but the season before saw Turner put up nearly identical per-36 minute stats.
While Turner isn’t going to lock anyone down offensively, he would provide another weapon for the offense. I’m convinced his struggles last season were due to his role off the bench and his lack of minutes. If a team can give him starters minutes, he is still a viable option. Similar to Swaggy P last year, Turner could come to LA on a one-year, prove-it contract. We saw how it worked out for Swaggy, and Turner could have the same benefit.