Evan Fournier had an up-and-down 2020-21 season. He battled some early injuries, but averaged 19 points per game in Orlando prior to the trade deadline where he was sent to Boston to hopefully bolster their wing rotation for a late run. However, just as he was getting settled, a bout with COVID kept him from playing with the Celtics for nine games and it took him another couple weeks to get back to looking like his normal self.
Once he was mostly recovered, he showed why Boston traded for him in the first place, averaging 19.9 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game in the final seven games of the regular season. In the playoffs, he continued to play solidly, particularly showing his value as a shooter at 43.3 percent against Brooklyn. That shooting, which has now sat at or above 40 percent from three for two straight seasons, made him among the more intriguing wings on the market.
On Monday, the New York Knicks nabbed Fournier off the market after reportedly agreed to a 4-year, $78 million deal with the French star, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Free agent Evan Fournier has agreed to a four-year deal that could be worth as much as $78M with the New York Knicks, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 3, 2021
Making the deal a bit more palatable is that it reportedly has a team option on the fourth year, meaning it is, effectively, a 3-year, $59.5 million deal.
Deal includes a team option on the fourth year, per source.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 3, 2021
It is a hefty sum for Fournier as the Knicks are hoping he can provide them with some needed perimeter scoring. The question is whether Fournier addresses their need for more creation on the perimeter, as he is more of a secondary or tertiary creator and an excellent spot-up shooter. For Fournier, it’s a terrific deal in a market that saw a lot of the cap space evaporate early on, as he cashes in and heads to New York.
