Evan Turner’s career never quite materialized as expected when he was the second overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft out of Ohio State, but he established himself as a solid role player, particularly in his years with the Celtics and Blazers, carving out a 10-year career that has apparently come to an end after a half a season in Atlanta before being dealt to Minnesota where he did not play.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Turner has reached an agreement to return to Boston, not as a player, but as an assistant coach where he’ll focus on player development.
10-year NBA veteran Evan Turner is finalizing a deal to join the Boston Celtics as an assistant coach, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Turner is expected to focus on player development.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 30, 2020
Turner has some coaching experience in The Basketball Tournament with the Ohio State alumni team, Carmen’s Crew, and clearly that experience plus his final years in the NBA as he shifted more into the “veteran leadership” role has made him realize coaching was where he wanted his career to go once his playing days were done. That decision apparently came this offseason to make that transition from playing to coaching and he’ll join a strong staff in Boston that will surely help him grow as a coach and learn a lot about that side of the game as he looks to launch his career on the bench.
Source: https://uproxx.com/dimemag/evan-turner-celtics-assistant-coach/