How prepared are you for the insane free agent market this coming summer? With the salary cap jumping to roughly $90 million, there are going to be some above average players who get paid like stars. A good rule of thumb is to look at the free agents in the 15-25 range in terms of just how good they are, and if you're feeling squeamish about giving them huge money then you're not exactly ready for the spending spree that's coming.
Boston Celtics wing Evan Turner may be the perfect example for this. He's a decent enough player, who has excelled with the Celtics under Brad Stevens. Last time he was a free agent, he signed a two-year deal for about $7 million. This summer, he's going to probably make around $15 million per season. And one of the teams who will reportedly be interested in acquiring Turner is Phil Jackson's New York Knicks. From Chris Mannix at CSSNE.com:
"No question he's raised his value," Mannix said on CSNNE.com. "I think the market for Evan Turner this offseason is going to be robust. The team that could be after him the hardest could be the New York Knicks. I've been told Phil Jackson is a big fan of Evan Turner. The Knicks will have money to spend. They need a combo guard who can handle the ball. I expect New York to make a run at Evan Turner."
With all of the money coming in and all of the cap space to be spent, Turner could even approach $20 million annually in his next contract. But he's a perfect type of guard for Phil Jackson's dream of a Triangle revival. Jackson loves big guards, who can play defense and handle the ball. While Turner isn't the outside shooter you'd like to see in the Triangle offense to help spread the floor, he fits the mold of everything else Jackson wants.
Danny Ainge and the Celtics will be interested in retaining his services but considering they want to go out and find a star for this team, they're unlikely to blow a major chunk of their salary cap space or salary flexibility moving forward on re-signing Turner. They've done a great job of increasing his value on the market, which was quite low following his stint with the Indiana Pacers.
