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Evan Turner Drawing Plenty Of Interest On Free Agent Market

BOSTON (CBS) -- Lost in all the NBA's big name free agents this offseason is Evan Turner, who is getting plenty of interest around the league with free agency underway.

While Kevin Durant will be hosting teams in the Hamptons this weekend, Turner is expected to get a slew of phone calls from inquiring clubs. According to The Sports News, at least six teams have expressed interest in signing the Celtics forward. While Boston has their sights set on bigger fish, they could also jump back into the mix if (when) they can't land one of those bigger names.

But they might not be able to wait very long. The Knicks, Bulls, Pelicans, Mavericks, Lakers and Grizzlies are all preparing their bids for Turner, according to The Sporting News.

Turner enjoyed a pair of renaissance seasons in Boston, filling just about any role Brad Stevens asked him to. He played in 81 games last season, coming off the bench in all but 12 of them, averaging 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per contest. The former second overall pick shot a career-high 47 percent in 2015-16, playing a pivotal role for the 48-win Celtics.

He expressed interest in returning to Boston following the C's first-round loss to the Atlanta Hawks, and Stevens has said how much he'd like to have his Swiss army knife back for the long-term. But it appears Turner is going to get some of the funny money that is already being thrown around this summer.

Two more Celtics notes from ESPN's Jeff Goodman as NBA free agency gets underway: Boston extended a $3.7 million qualifying offer to Tyler Zeller, making him a restricted free agent. They also shifted the guarantee dates on the contracts of Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko to July 7, giving them four extra days to make a decision on their deals.

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