Jan 18, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Evan Fournier (13) warms up prior to the game against the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
NBA Rumors: Knicks open to trading Evan Fournier in multi-team deal
The New York Knicks have made a couple of moves since the offseason started, but neither involved trading Evan Fournier. The former starting shooting guard was removed from Tom Thibodeau’s nine-man rotation this past season and likely won’t be suiting up in a Knicks uniform again in 2023-24.
Fournier went from breaking New York’s single-season record for made three-pointers in 2021-22 to being benched in favor of Quentin Grimes in 2022-23. He went from playing (and starting) in 80 games to playing in only 27 (seven starts). Fournier averaged 6.1 points this past season, the first time that he didn’t average double-digits since the 2013-14 season when he was in Denver.
The 30-year-old knows that he’ll likely be on the move sometime this offseason. After the Knicks’ Game 6 loss to the Heat in the second round of the playoffs, Fournier said: “There’s no way they’re going to keep me. I would be very surprised if they did.” The Fournier trade front has been sort of quiet, but according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, New York is still engaged in trade talks regarding Fournier.
Rival front offices continue to say New York remains engaged on trade avenues for veteran shooter Evan Fournier, and the Knicks are amenable to doing so as part of multi-team frameworks, sources said.
Knicks reportedly open to trading Evan Fournier in multi-team deal
Jake Fischer wrote that there has been “some talk” at Summer League about a multi-team deal, which is where the Knicks could decide to come in and include Evan Fournier in a trade. Fischer mentioned players that could be traded this summer, such as Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Cam Payne.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported earlier this month that New York considered including Fournier in a package to the Clippers to land Paul George, but those trade talks stalled because of George’s desire to sign a max extension and LA’s asking price. Perhaps discussions between the Knicks and Clippers will pick up again later this summer.
Either way, Fournier’s officially on an expiring contract, meaning it will be easier for New York to offload him this offseason than before the February trade deadline. Even though Fournier didn’t contribute much to the Knicks’ successful 2022-23 season, he could find a consistent role elsewhere. He’s still a player who can go out and knock down a few shots when needed.
As Evan Fournier said, it’ll be a surprise if he’s still on New York’s roster this upcoming season. It’ll be interesting to see if the Knicks get in on a multi-team deal to get rid of Fournier or not.
