Trail Blazers Trade Evan Turner To Atlanta Hawks For Ken Bazemore

The Portland Trail Blazers have traded forward Evan Turner to the Atlanta Hawks for guard Ken Bazemore. President of basketball operations Neil Olshey made the announcement Monday. He said Turner would be missed on and off the court.

“Kent is a two-way wing that adds depth to our perimeter, is an excellent fit with our returning players and will transition seamlessly to our style of play,” said Olshey.

“We want to thank Evan for his many contributions to the team.  He was a critical player in our run to the Western Conference Finals and he will be missed on and off the court.”

Turner is well-liked as a veteran player who contributed in the locker room as well as on the floor as a bench player. Shooting guard CJ McCollum saluted him on Twitter as “One of the realest ones I ever met.”

Turner had one year remaining on a four-year, $70 million contract with the Blazers. Bazemore is also on the final year of his deal. The two players have similar contracts, so the move is not expected to have a big impact on the salary cap of either team.

Both players will become free agents next summer.