3 reasons a trade for Evan Fournier is perfect for the NY Knicks
By Adam Kester
NY Knicks Trade: Kevin Knox, Reggie Bullock, 2021 2nd Round Pick (From Detroit) | Orlando Magic Trade: Evan Fournier
The Orlando Magic are now 14th in the Eastern Conference and I think out of any of the current bottom dwellers, they have the most desirable players that have a strong chance of being made available for trade.
Looking at what it might take to acquire Fournier, I think the draft capital involved would be in the pick 20-40 range. The 28-year old Fournier will be a free agent this offseason. The Frenchman has spent his entire career with the Orlando Magic, and it seems like a perfect opportunity to set him free.
The Magic may have finished 8th in the Eastern Conference last year, but unfortunately, things just haven’t gone their way this season. The team hasn’t been able to stay healthy and is missing two key young players in Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac. They haven’t been able to stay afloat, and it’s a very real possibility they’ll want to finally unload some of their long-tenured starters: Fournier, Vucevic, and Gordon, in order to reposition themselves for next season and beyond.
For the Knicks, I don’t believe giving up Bullock, Knox, and next year’s 2nd round pick hurts them all too much for the future. Knox, while he may still potential, has been buried on the team’s depth chart, and a mutual split with the Knicks feels inevitable.
The Detroit Pistons’ 2nd round pick certainly has solid value. I think if the Knicks didn’t have two first-round picks, they would hold this one in higher regard. With Bullock, while he has provided the Knicks with strong defense and occasional shooting – His impact is minimal.
For the NY Knicks, they’re trading an established 3rd-year player who isn’t getting playing time (Knox), a veteran role player (Bullock), and a draft pick who probably won’t be relevant with the team for years (Hard to imagine 3 draft picks getting significant playing time right off the bat) for a stud scorer in his prime in Evan Fournier.