What’s one way to make a late-season, injury-ravaged matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz more intriguing? Call up Evan Turner, of course!
The former Blazers forward will serve as the TV analyst for the Trail Blazers’ broadcast of Wednesday’s road matchup against the Jazz, the organization announced. Turner will fill in for Lamar Hurd for the game and work alongside usual Portland play-by-play man Kevin Calabro.
Turner, 36, played three seasons in Portland from 2016-2019 after signing a four-year, $70 million contract with the franchise in the fateful summer of 2016. The 6-foot-6 forward’s last season in Portland came during the Blazers’ 2019 run to the Western Conference Finals. Turner’s brightest moment as a Blazer came during that postseason run when he scored 14 points in Game 7 of the second round to help seal a 100-96 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Along with his on-court play, Turner is remembered in Rip City for his colorful sense of humor. That humor shone through in various moments, including when the Blazers got stuck in an elevator, Turner’s “THANKS FOR THE CHEESE” farewell post, and when he gave the Nuggets the one-fingered salute during that 2019 playoff series.
Turner’s tenure with the Blazers ended when the franchise traded him to the Atlanta Hawks for wing Kent Bazemore in the summer of 2019. He retired following the 2019-20 season at the age of 31.
The former basketball player is no stranger to the mic. Turner has been a co-host of the SB Nation podcast “Point Forward” alongside former player Andre Iguodala since 2022, setting him up nicely for commentary duties on Wednesday.
Chalk this up as another example of the Trail Blazers’ revitalized effort to maintain relationships with former players. Just this season, that effort has included a reunion with former center Greg Oden and a halftime ceremony for the 1990 and 1992 Western Conference Championship teams.
The Blazers will tip off against the Jazz on the road Wednesday at 6 p.m. Pacific.