One way or another, the New York Knicks are planning to part ways with veteran shooter Evan Fournier. Despite being fully fit, Fournier only made 27 appearances this past season. His average of 6.1 points across 17 minutes per game, a shooting percentage of .337 from the field, and a .307 success rate from beyond the arc leave much to be desired.
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Evaluating Fournier’s Contribution to the Knicks
Fournier, whose defensive shortcomings and inconsistency have been glaring, did not fit into the Knicks’ strategy. The front office will hence be keen to offload the remaining portion of his contract in the coming off-season.
Fournier himself seems well aware that his time with the Knicks had effectively ended some time ago, despite efforts to reclaim his spot in the rotation.
“My season has been over for a very long time, actually. This officially is the end, but my season was over a long time ago,” Fournier acknowledged. “It took me a good month to understand that… Obviously, there are gonna be changes and I’m gonna get traded.”
Trade Talks Underway
As reported by Stefan Bondy of the NYDN, talks are in progress between Fournier’s representatives and the Knicks to negotiate a trade that would move him—and his hefty contract—out of New York. Fournier still has $18.85 million due for the 2023–24 season before a club option becomes effective. It’s more likely that the Knicks would package him into a larger trade deal.
Anticipating the shift, Fournier stated, “I mean, wouldn’t you guys be surprised? Yeah. So there we go.” “[I’ve got] 11 years in, big contract, they’re obviously trying to develop the young guys. So I didn’t play this year, so why would you bring me back?”
Looking Ahead
Fournier is well aware that the Knicks have their reasons for bringing him back—primarily to free up his salary for use elsewhere. The team urgently needs to renew contracts with Josh Hart and Immanuel Quickley, so it’s highly likely that the money saved from Fournier’s departure will be reinvested in these key players.