The New York Knicks are among the hottest teams in the NBA after a win over the Indiana Pacers put them on a seven game win streak.
A lot has gone right for them in that stretch, and it could have a lot to do with the new rotation coach Tom Thibodeau has put out that sees Evan Fournier, Cam Reddish and Derrick Rose seeing little to no minutes.
It’s been a bold move because Fournier is fresh off a season where he set the record for threes made in a season for the Knicks, but that wasn’t enough to save his job. As a result, he’s somebody who looks to be a trade candidate, but moving him won’t be that simple.
Fournier had a rough start to the year with his shooting, but that’s been his strong suit and what teams will value in potential trades. However, NBA analyst Brian Windhorst doesn’t think the Knicks will make it easy for opposing teams to get Fournier from them.
Speaking on the “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast, the analyst says the Knicks won’t be willing to attach a first rounder to Fournier just to trade him.
Fournier Too Difficult to Move?
With Fournier out of the rotation, it would make a lot of sense for the team to trade him away just to get something back, but not if it meant the Knicks have to give up assets to make it happen.
Windhorst reports the Knicks aren’t looking to shed salary, so hanging onto Fournier for the year could be a possibility if the right offer doesn’t come around.
“The Knicks are not interested in shedding salary going forward,” he said on the Dec 14 episode. “They’ll do business, but I think there’s been a concept that they might, like, attach a pick to get off of Evan Fournier or something like that. But to my understanding that’s not true. I think they would trade Evan Fournier. I mean he’s not playing for them right now, of course they would trade him. But I don’t think they feel any sort of desperation to clear cap space.”
With the win streak, the Knicks can afford to be patient, especially since it seems like there aren’t a ton of big names on the trade market as of yet, so trading somebody for the sake of just dumping salary won’t be something that improves the roster.
Fournier could be used as a way to match salaries in potential trades down the road, and with the trade deadline still months away, the Knicks aren’t in any rush.
Who Could Use Fournier?
A team that is looking for shooting is the Los Angeles Lakers, but it’s not clear what they are willing to give up to acquire the Knicks sharpshooter.
Russell Westbrook would’ve been a way to match salaries, but with him flourishing in the sixth man role, he’d be a big piece of the Lakers to lose as they fight for a playoff spot, so the Lakers would likely look at other avenues to explore.
“The Lakers are prioritizing shooting in their conversations with teams, and have discussed packages including salaries and a protected first-round pick for Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanovic, league sources, who were granted anonymity so that they could speak freely, tell The Athletic,” reported The Athletic’s Shams Charania. “They’ve also discussed concepts involving New York’s Cam Reddish and Evan Fournier, sources said.”
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Knicks Make Decision on Veteran Sharpshooter: ‘That’s Not True’