http://www.celticsblog.com/2016/7/5...s-career-was-brief-but-helped-boston-become-a
Evan Turner's Celtics career was brief but helped Boston become a destination
By Bobby Manning @RealBobManning on Jul 5, 2016, 9:00a
From free-agent holdover in 2014 to a 70 million dollar deal in 2016, there's a reason E.T. got paid in full this summer. The time may have been right for him to leave, but his presence on and off the court here should be remembered for helping to create a "Celtics Hustle" identity that made Boston a destination this summer.
The goodbye
Fireworks were being shot across New England in the wake of what may have been the most impactful free-agent signing in the history of the Boston Celtics. For the first time Boston had landed an All-Star in the midst of his prime, the Hawks' Al Horford. Twitter blew up, fans rejoiced and looked ahead at Kevin Durant's decision, but quietly a now-former C's figure was walking out the back door.
That's right, Evan Turner, a Celtics figure forever. If you asked him, he'd probably say he was the team's biggest free-agent signing ever, and in a roundabout way he may be right.
Turner got his due in a hefty $70 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, leaving a career behind in Boston that spanned only two seasons. Nevertheless, what he did on and off the court directly allowed him to keep playing basketball at the NBA level years after being drafted second overall by the Philadelphia 76ers, who dumped him for essentially no return in 2014. At the same time, his contributions were specifically impactful in making Boston a viable destination for a major free agent. That's no small thing, and on both ends Celtics fans should be grateful forever, even if you didn't particularly love his game.
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