Getty Evan Fournier of the New York Knicks shoots the ball as Seth Curry and Andre Drummond of the Brooklyn Nets defend.
When it comes to the New York Knicks, many of their players are viewed as being realistically expendable between now and February’s trade deadline though one, in particular, is seen as perhaps the “more obvious” talent in need of a one-way ticket outbound.
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report penned a piece on January 2 pinpointing the player he believes every team across the association should look to trade in 2023 and, for the Knicks, unsurprisingly he labeled veteran swingman Evan Fournier as that type of individual, as his role within head coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation has already been reduced to mere atoms.
“Evan Fournier fell out of the New York Knicks’ rotation after a November 13 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he didn’t log a single minute for the team again until December 29. Fournier was not only replaced by Quentin Grimes in the starting lineup, he was wiped from the team’s short-term plans altogether,” Bailey wrote.
While Fourier’s inactivity in 2022-23 coupled with his lofty per-year salary of $18.2 million through 2025 (club option) may make him an undesirable commodity for many clubs to consider acquiring, Bailey would go on to note that teams that are “desperate for shooting” could be viable landing spots for the 30-year-old.
Luckily for the Knicks, several franchises fit this description, including a long-standing rival they have often been linked to as a realistic trade partner this season.
Lakers, Knicks Held Trade Talks
.@IanBegley reports that the Knicks and Lakers recently touched base on a 3-team trade:
“It seems like this rotation is here to stay, with McBride in, Derrick Rose out, Cam Reddish out, Evan Fournier out. You can expect to hear those players’ names come up in trade rumors”
The Knicks have been the subject of a plethora of trade rumors throughout these first few months of the 2022-23 campaign, and one of the most recent rumblings is that they have already been in contact with the Los Angeles Lakers regarding the possibility of several potential transactions.
The two storied franchises have been linked for some time now as both have unwanted assets that they seem to be trying to part ways with and, recently, an anonymous Western Conference executive told Heavy Sports’ NBA Insider Sean Deveney that they have already discussed the concept of a deal that would send Evan Fournier from the Big Apple to the City of Angels.
“If the Lakers want to move him on, they are going to have to take back a bad contract that extends into the future, and that will eat into their potential cap space next summer—not sure they want to do that,” the exec told Deveney. “But they have talked about Evan Fournier with the Knicks, with Beverley being the primary return guy for the Knicks.”
Placing a messily 25th in 3-point percentage (33.8) and 28th in 3-pointers attempted (1110) it’s clear that the playoff-hopeful Lakers should be interested in trying to bolster their long-range shooting arsenal at some point this season and, though he may currently be seen as an overpriced benchwarmer with the Knicks, his career 38.0% 3-point shooting clip could be a luxury if inserted into Darvin Ham’s struggling lineup.
As far as the acquisition of Patrick Beverley goes, though his tough-nosed, defensive-minded skillset fits into a traditional Thibodeau scheme, it’s easy to assume that he’d be bought out almost immediately upon his arrival in New York, allowing him to hit the free agency market and sign on with a contender better suited for his contributions.
Lakers Also Interested in Knicks Youngster
Along with Evan Fournier, the Los Angeles Lakers have also been reported as having an interest in fellow estranged Knicks teammate Cam Reddish, as SNY’s Ian Begley has noted that they are one of several teams who have “expressed interest” in trading for the 23-year-old.
“Teams that have expressed interest in Reddish in the past since the trade to New York have included the Lakers, the Heat, and the Bucks,” Begley said.
From earlier: we talked Cam Reddish, Tom Thibodeau, Leon Rose’s loyalty to Thibs & more in this week’s Mailbag. Thanks to
@KNYT_Hoops, @AndrewA59778512, @BostonKnick, @yer_donnie & @Kennethschiumo for the questions! Full show here: t.co/FSKhjgCAEZ
Reddish has been found on the outside looking in on the Knicks’ rotation for 14 straight games now and, as a result of his inactivity, it has been reported that his representatives have been working with Leon Rose and company to find a trade suitor for his services.