One of the Knicks‘ top priorities this off-season was to find a sharpshooter who could create shots for himself. Last season, the team featured Reggie Bullock as the starting shooting guard/small forward, but they sought an upgrade at the position, acquiring former Boston Celtic Evan Fournier.
The French native signed a four year, $78 million deal with New York, indicating they have become an attractive team worth playing for after a successful 2020-21 season that saw them secure the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference.
“Why? I think it was an easy choice. The Knicks are a very attractive team. They have an incredible coach that every time he coached a team, the team is disciplined. They play hard. And they play together. As a player, you want that,†Fournier said.
However, the Knicks didn’t only acquire Fournier, they manage to add two second-round picks for the future as well. By executing a sign and trade with Boston, the team sent $110K to the Celtics in exchange for a top-55 protected pick in 2023 and another second-round pick from Oklahoma City or Washington. This move allowed Boston to clear $17.1 million in salary space, while also delivering draft capital to New York.
New York Knicks announced today that the team has acquired guard/forward Evan Fournier in a sign-and-trade with Boston, along with two future second round draft picks in exchange for cash considerations.
Per source, the Celtics sent the Knicks the top-55 protected 2023 Hornets second-round pick, and *deep breath* the worst of: the worst of OKC/Was or the better of Miami/Dallas
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) August 17, 2021
The trade exception is worth Fournier‘s salary for this upcoming season and expires in one year. The $110K New York sent to Boston is the minimum they can declare as cash considerations to acquire draft capital. This is a win-win for both teams, as draft picks down the road could be valuable for the Knicks who might look to package them in a potential trade.
Obviously, the biggest benefit for New York is adding the French sharpshooter. At 28 years old, he averaged 17.1 points last season over 30 minutes per game. Playing in 42 total contests, Fournier did spend some time dealing with injury, but he can take pressure off All-Star power forward Julius Randle, who desperately needed more support during the postseason.