Vito: Sixers will need discount to pay for Turner

<Deal Todayp>PHILADELPHIA — The other night, Oklahoma City's Royal Ivey and Hasheem Thabeet were featured on Kiss Cam. Ivey, the former 76ers guard, didn't seem to mind. Thabeet, on the other hand, didn't want anything to do with the gag. He stood up from the bench and walked out of the camera shot.

It's not uncommon for players, like Ivey and Thabeet, to crane their necks and glance at the big screen during games. Evan Turner swears he isn't one of them.

So Saturday, in first- and third-quarter timeouts, Turner promises that he did not see a message that flashed across the Wells Fargo Center's screen — advertising 25-percent discounts on Sixers apparel bearing his name and number.

"I couldn't care less," Turner said. "I don't pay attention to what goes on (off the court) during the game."

Maybe the Sixers are simply trying to move product at an affordable price. Or maybe they're attempting to sell off Turner's gear prior to the Feb. 20 trade deadline, when he may no longer be with the team.

That's conjecture, anyway.

Turner's future with the Sixers, meanwhile, isn't up for debate. The fourth-year swingman is in the final year of his rookie deal. The Sixers have until June 30 to extend to Turner an $8.71 million qualifying offer. That's unlikely to happen, though doing so would allow the Sixers to match any offers the 25-year-old gets this offseason.

Without that qualifying offer, Turner will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

It seems inevitable that Turner and the Sixers, the team that drafted him second overall in 2010, will sever ties at the conclusion of this season, if not sooner.

"Me, personally," Turner said, "I'm kind of anxious to see how it all works out. I don't really think much of it. I'm kind of curious. Other than that, I don't sit there going, 'It's this. It's that.' It's whatever."

Questions regarding Turner's future with the Sixers seem to surface whenever he experiences extreme highs or extreme lows, a symptom of his game that has dogged him since Day 1. He had stretches of single-digit scoring last season. He's had stretches this season of the opposite, during which he's recognized that he's the Sixers' top scoring option on a green team.

Just last week, Turner scored a career-high 34 points in a win at New York. Afterward, Sixers coach Brett Brown lauded him.

"He ends up making big shots at big stages of the game and shows an incredible array of skills," Brown said. "He showed a variety of ways he's able to impact a game, from rebounding to a 3-point shot to making shots with two or three hands in his face to guarding Carmelo (Anthony) well. That's what I saw in him."

Turner, in his second full season as a starter, is experiencing a career year. He's the league's 25th-highest scorer, leading the Sixers with an average of 18.5 points per game. Additionally, Turner is averaging at or near career-high totals with 6.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

Brown's up-tempo system also has aided Turner's amped-up production. With more team possessions per game, and more minutes and more shot attempts nightly than Turner has ever averaged, it only makes sense that Turner is thriving.

At what price would the Sixers wish to continue their partnership with Turner? Probably not at Turner's terms. And it's likely Turner will seek a deal similar to those agreed to by players from his draft class prior to the expiration of their rookie deals. John Wall, the No. 1 pick that year, got a five-year, $80 million pact from Washington. Derrick Favors, the man selected right after Turner at No. 3, picked up a four-year, $49 million extension from Utah. And No. 5 pick DeMarcus Cousins earned a four-year, $60 million deal with Sacramento.

It was only three months ago that Turner told reporters he's "going to get money," whether it's with the Sixers or with someone else.

"That statement blew up, like the Philly media does," Turner said. "They put that nonsense out there and make it sound like I'm something I'm not. I've always been about playing hard, making my team better and leading the team. Up until I'm done here or whatever, I'm always going to prepare to win, be successful and keep getting better day in and day out.

"Obviously, for good or bad, I hold Philly near and dear to my heart, you know what I'm saying? I was drafted here, I grew here. I saw some great times here. It's always a good place in my heart. I can't say anything negative."

Turner is not worth that much of a financial commitment from a team in rebuilding mode, one that's built upon buying low, selling high and taking flyers on unclaimed prospects and unwanted projects. The Sixers are expected to have somewhere in the ballpark of $30 million in available salary cap space next summer, but unless Turner — like his merchandise — comes at a discounted rate, the Sixers aren't buying.