The Hawks and Blazers Exchanged Veteran Wings
Atlanta acquired Evan Turner from Portland on June 24, 2019, sending Kent Bazemore to the Trail Blazers. Both veterans had been playing meaningful roles in their old cities, but their skills differed. Turner preferred to initiate secondary offense, rebound and move the ball, while Bazemore supplied catch-and-shoot potential and defensive activity. Atlanta was beginning a youth-oriented roster transition and could evaluate a different kind of veteran. Portland wanted wing help after a Western Conference Finals season. The agreement contained no direct new draft choice in this two-player exchange.
Turner Played Only a Short Atlanta Stretch
Turner had previously been useful as a ball-handling reserve in Portland, but his Atlanta role didn't develop into a season-long rotation fixture. He appeared in only 19 Hawks games in 2019-20 before becoming part of a different multi-team transaction. The Hawks therefore got limited actual court value despite the intention of giving their young group a veteran passer. His earlier 73 games for the Blazers are the outgoing player's background, not part of his new Atlanta return. The transaction was more about short-term experimentation than creating a core piece.
Bazemore's Portland Stay Was Also Brief
Bazemore moved to a Trail Blazers roster that needed reliable wing bodies. He played 43 games for Portland during 2019-20 before the team traded him again as its personnel needs shifted. His long Atlanta record, including 355 games and a visible community role, explains why the Hawks valued him but must not be credited as Portland production. In his new city he provided minutes and some defense, though his offensive efficiency failed to lift the team in the way hoped. Portland's return was real, yet it too lasted only part of a campaign.
Neither Veteran Turned the Deal Into a Lasting Upgrade
Atlanta received fewer games than Portland did from its incoming player, but Turner's expiring-contract utility and ball-handling role gave the Hawks a different kind of option while rebuilding. Portland added a wing it could use immediately and subsequently moved again. The canonical slight Hawks edge is therefore not an argument that Turner outperformed Bazemore on the court. Instead, it reflects the Hawks' strategic reset and financial timetable. Both organizations ultimately treated the acquired players as movable short-term pieces rather than foundations for future seasons.
Final Verdict
Slight Hawks Edge. Atlanta gets B- because Evan Turner fitted its short-term contract and roster-planning approach, although he played only 19 Hawks games. Portland receives C+ for Kent Bazemore's 43 appearances before another trade. The Blazers obtained more direct minutes, but neither veteran became an enduring difference-maker, leaving this a narrow overall judgment.