Report proves why fans should be thankful Knicks didn’t trade Evan Fournier
A few months ago, New York Knicks fans were expecting to learn that Evan Fournier had been traded. Instead, the shooting guard remained on New York’s roster past the trade deadline, although he wasn’t able to claw his way back into Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.
Fournier finished the 2022-23 season averaging 17 minutes in only 27 games, which included seven starts. Considering that he started in all 80 games he played in 2021-22, he had a completely different role this past season after second-year guard Quentin Grimes replaced him in the starting lineup.
Once the trade deadline had come and gone, Fournier took to Instagram and posted a picture reflecting how he felt about staying in New York. It turns out that the Knicks were trying to send Fournier to the Jazz, but that’s a deal that fans should be thankful never happened.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, New York was trying to land Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt in a deal that would’ve involved Fournier leaving. The Knicks have shown interest in Beasley before and it was known that the front office was interested in him leading up to the deadline, but he and Vanderbilt were traded to the Lakers instead.
Knicks reportedly tried to trade Evan Fournier in package that would’ve brought Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt to New York
The day after the Lakers were part of a three-team trade that brought Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt to Los Angeles, the Knicks traded for Josh Hart. He brought an instant burst of energy off the bench and helped guide New York to the second round of the playoffs. Hart averaged 10.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in the postseason.
Luckily for the Knicks, the deal for Beasley and Vanderbilt didn’t go through. Hart has been an excellent fit in New York and is expected to opt out of his player option in 2023-24 to sign a new contract with the Knicks. After being traded the past two deadlines, Hart has said that he wants to make NYC home and the front office should be more than happy to help him do so.
It’s too bad for Evan Fournier, who could’ve been traded to a team where he would’ve gotten playing time to close out the season. Now that he’s on an expiring contract, expect Fournier to actually get traded this offseason. Even he knows that his time in New York is coming to an end.
Fans might’ve been annoyed when Evan Fournier wasn’t dealt back in February, but it all ended up working in the Knicks’ favor.
