At the start of the season, fans were alarmed by Tom Thibodeau saying that Evan Fournier was the frontrunner to start at shooting guard for the New York Knicks. But the 30-year-old has since racked up six straight DNPs and last played in a game on Nov. 13.
A trade is inevitable at this point, but it could be complicated to find a trade partner due to Fournier’s drop in performance and the contract that he signed ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Still, if there is a team that’s interested in adding a threat from deep, Fournier’s a player that’s worth considering. He’s a negative factor on the defensive end and he’s inconsistent as a shooter, which is what led to him being benched by Thibodeau. Fournier broke John Starks’ single-season three-point record last year though, and his shooting is what kept him in New York’s starting lineup for so long.
How much longer will Evan Fournier remain with the New York Knicks?
With Quentin Grimes back in the lineup after dealing with a foot injury, the Knicks officially no longer need Fournier. To get rid of Fournier, New York may have to end up attaching a first-round pick to him. However, that reportedly isn’t something that the front office is willing to do.
If a deal doesn’t materialize in the next few weeks, a team could be more willing to take a gamble on Fournier as we get closer to the February trade deadline.
2: Minnesota Timberwolves
After making a blockbuster trade for Rudy Gobert over the summer, the Timberwolves have had a rough start to the season. Following a 120-107 loss to the Knicks on Nov. 7, Anthony Edwards said that Minnesota is “soft” and opposing teams know it.
The Timberwolves advanced past the play-in last season but came up short against Ja Morant and the Grizzlies in the first round. For a team that aspires to make it back to the postseason for a second consecutive year, perhaps Minnesota could be interested in getting some help from behind the arc. As a team, they are shooting 32.6% from three on an average of 34.3 attempts per game.
Fournier wouldn’t help the Timberwolves with their defensive woes, but he’d help to bolster their wing depth and be a source of shooting. Because Gobert is making upwards of $38 million per year through the 2025-26 season, it’d be difficult to execute a trade that would work for both sides. A third team could be looped in to make things easier.
If Minnesota steadily improves as the trade deadline grows closer, acquiring Fournier might be more appealing with the Timberwolves hoping to make a deep playoff run.
1: Los Angeles Lakers
Remember how the Lakers were supposed to be better this season, but instead, they’ve ended up looking worse than they did in 2021-22? Couple that with the fact that LeBron James signed a two-year extension before the season, and it becomes clearer that Los Angeles needs to make a move.
With the Russell Westbrook trade chatter quieting down as he’s done well coming off the bench for the Lakers, the team is still in need of a shooter. Evan Fournier’s availability to be dealt might be enough to warrant Rob Pelinka’s attention, although it’d be challenging to pull a trade off.
But because Los Angeles isn’t an organization that’s known to make the best decisions, Pelinka could get desperate enough to go out and get Fournier. The Lakers have one of the worst three-point percentages in the league (31.9%) on 30 attempts per game.
Los Angeles has won five of its last six games, which includes three wins over a rebuilding San Antonio squad, but the team still sits in 13th place in the West with a 7-11 record. Based on how LA’s roster is currently constructed, Fournier wouldn’t be near enough to propel the Lakers to the playoffs, but he’d help to fill their shooting void.
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