UPDATE 6/30/16 (10:07 PM PT): The Lakers have been in contact with Evan Turner and there is reportedly mutual interest between the two sides according to David Aldridge of NBA.com:
Lakers have also reached out to express their interest in Celtics UFA Evan Turner, per source. Turner has stated his interest in them, too.
— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 1, 2016
The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make a splash in this summer’s highly-competitive free agency period. After a franchise-worst 17 win season, GM Mitch Kupchak has his work cut out for him as he hopes to put the Lakers back on the right track.
With a number of young, talented players already in place on the roster, Kupchak will focus on adding veterans in free agency. With over $60 million to spend this year, the Lakers will be aggressive in attempting to acquire talent.
One player that is rumored to be interested in coming to Los Angeles is Evan Turner, who played for the Boston Celtics last season. According to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News, Turner in interested in about six teams, and the Lakers are one of them:
Boston free-agent shooting guard Evan Turner has expressed interest in about six NBA teams, including the Lakers and Celtics, according to league sources familiar with the situation.
Turner was taken with the second overall pick of the 2010 draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, but never blossomed into the star that they envisioned him being. After a short stint in Indiana, Turner found his way to the Boston Celtics, where he was able to re-ignite his career.
For the Lakers, Turner would be an interesting addition. Unfortunately, he isn’t a three-point shooter, which is a big negative for a modern day NBA wing, but he makes up for it by being versatile in all other areas of the game. In particular, Turner’s passing ability and midrange game stand out as weapons that could be utilized in Coach Luke Walton‘s offense.
If brought on board, Turner could challenge either Jordan Clarkson for the starting shooting guard spot or Brandon Ingram at small forward, although there would still be plenty of minutes to go around regardless of who starts.