Veteran swingman Evan Fournier agreed to a four-year deal with the Knicks on the first day of free agency on Monday, but that hadn’t necessarily been his plan entering the summer. Fournier tells Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe that he had initially hoped to stick with the Celtics.
“That was my priority going into the summer,” Fournier said. “Because I knew the place. I talked to (Celtics president of basketball operations) Brad (Stevens) and we couldn’t get a deal done, obviously. But I had my options. It wasn’t necessarily Boston only, but I was more inclined to sign there because they traded for me and I felt good while I was there. That’s the thing with free agency. It can go both ways.”
While working out a new deal with Boston was his top priority entering free agency, Fournier is happy to land with the Knicks.
“New York has been on my radar for a while now,” he said. “I’ve always said the Knicks are the Knicks. And I’m honestly extremely happy I’ll be there next year.”
Here are a few more notes related to free agency:
- Although the Knicks are short on cap space, they’re still exploring the possibility of adding another point guard either in a trade or using their $4.9MM room exception, sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post.
- The Knicks never made a formal contract offer to free agent point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who was believed to be one of their potential targets, tweets Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Dinwiddie appears likely to end up with Washington.
- The Timberwolves have been in contact with Bulls restricted free agent forward Lauri Markkanen, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Minnesota doesn’t have a ton of cap flexibility, so figuring out a way to land Markkanen would be a challenge.
Knicks are not out of cap room 7m left plus exception of around 5m.
Where do you get 7mil ?
“The rest of their cap space went toward returning some key contributors from their 2020-21 club in an underwhelming night for Knicks president Leon Rose.
“The Knicks hammered out a deal to bring back Derrick Rose for three years, $43 million, which used up THE REST OF THEIR CAP ROOM.
“The Knicks had to fight off a Bulls bid for Rose and hence couldn’t sign him for the $10.3 million early Bird exception that would’ve saved them their cap space.”
– New York Post.
Lost Bullock as well.
Is drose worth that kind of money?
Yes
Post is wrong. I believe that Rose still can still be signed using the EBRs (because there are two prongs to those rights, 10.3 mm or 175% of his prior salary). Thus, they can still spend 7 mm if they use it before actually signing Rose (and include his cap hold in computations for the other signings, and then use EBRs to sign Rose).
For purposes of the 7 mm cap space, it’s irrelevant whether he was paid the 10.3 vs the 43/3 or so. They won’t carry any cap space into the season though once the roster is filled out. But will have the Room Exception.
I’m glad you and Stan understand it because I don’t. I have to rely on what I read. That’s why I love this site. Definitely some knowledgeable posters.
Can’t rely on the post
I won’t refute the report but I need to see confirmation from a better source first
“I’ve always said the Knicks are the Knicks”.
Like getting everyone’s hopes up for a season then blowing their cap space day 1?
We’re all saying the same thing, Evan. If you look now you can probably find a good deal on irons.
Who did you want them to sign?
Sum1 actually good
It’s been a bad off-season for the Knicks. Repeating last year isn’t the objective, nor is tying up cap. Next year they’ll have room to get a max, then sign Randle, so hoping they did this year for building their bench and next year to get that PG/SF.
Knicks are the Knicks
I don’t get it
Celtics get worse
Trade Hayward for Richardson
Trade Walker for Horford
My grade: F
Knicks get better on paper
Basically trade Bullock for Fournier
Don’t Translate money to more wins
My grade: F
Kings did nothing
F
Everyone forgets Mitch was injured most of the season and not there for the Hawks series imagine a healthy Mitch slowing down Capela and Collins and disrupting Trae in the lane and add Fournier 20 points a game and that series goes the other way. Get a grip people
Yeah I don’t get the Knicks hate, they have been terrible for so long, now they are young and a playoff team that just got atleast somewhat better. Not to mention another year of development for RJ, IQ, and others.
Two things…
1. Mitch would’ve fouled out at some point.
2. Mitch isn’t a difference maker. Love his game, but he’s not the level that would lift the Knicks passed others.
A) Mitch cannot be relied upon. The reason he wasn’t there for the Hawks series is because he is always injured. Counting on him being there this coming season is a bad idea. I guarantee you he misses 25 games minimum this year while only playing 22-25 minutes a game. You can maybe say the exact same thing about Noel. Speaking of whom, Noel was there for the playoffs and is as good as Mitch defensively and did none of the things you’re saying Mitch would have done.
B) Fournier has never averaged 20 points a game, so I’m not sure why you’d expect him to score that much.
The Knicks got better…we haven’t even seen the rookies play we don’t know the improvement of Toppin and Quickley and we kept the veteran core intact and added Fournier…have some faith or go route for the Lakers
Stevens isn’t much better than Ainge was failing to pull the trigger on deals
It just seems there’s no need for Fournier when you resign Burcs and want Barrett to continue to develop. Why give Fournier that money?
Burks is off the bench Fournier is your starter RJ is your SF but both guys can play either position so you can move them all around…starting 5 Rose Fournier Barret Randle Mitch…Burks Noel Toppin Quickley off the bench sprinkle in some Knox and rookies
I would of rather they signed Powell or ball than Fournier who is a bellow average defender at best and cold in offense in big games . Let’s see how it goes .
Rose doesn’t need to start
He played awesome last year bc they managed his minutes all year and then used him more in playoffs
Just not a good signing. Fournier wasn’t a need.
Fournier is the only problematic move. Bringing back their core at what was market pricing was essential under any model of team building (outside of fantasy and 2k).
With Fournier (in lieu of Bullock) they get a clear scoring upgrade, but at the price of (i) defense + (ii) extra salary (9-10 mm/year). They also lose on the team culture front, which is not a knock on Fournier, at all, just a recognition that Bullock was one of the earliest to buy in on Thibs’ approach and a good locker room guy. We’ll see how it works out.
Curious ,,, How would you have spent Evan’s money….1 player same contract, split it up multiple players (is their even roster space?), or save it….assuming no trades could be worked unless you’d like to add an * to answer!
*Your boy Graham sure signed for a bargain It appears, I guess that’s an easy *answer
I prefer to upgrade from the weakest links. For the Knicks, that’s PG. So, I would have brought back Bullock, and added the 10 mm savings (vs Fournier) to the PG budget. With that, they’d have 25-30 mm, prioritizing a younger (starting) PG over Rose. I preferred Graham (over Ball/SD/old guys), because I thought we could get him and Rose. Based on what each got, it looked to be doable, but that doesn’t account for the RFA/S&T thing. If that was too difficult to navigate, I’d have split the PG budget 3/5ths Dinwiddie, 2/5ths Rose. I really wouldn’t care if either or both go elsewhere on that basis. If it was both, I’d use the cap space to trade for a PG. Knicks played all of last year without a starting PG, it doesn’t scare me because we’re not more than a bottom 4 playoff team this year anyway.
I like Bullock, but if you’re talking about upgrading the weakest links, Bullock was one of the weakest in their starting five. He’s a bench piece or a starter on a team that already has 3+ legit scorers in the lineup (which the Knicks did not have).
I don’t think they’ve improved a lot, but signing Fournier was the Knicks addressing a need.
No. When one player is both the team’s best perimeter defender (on any team, but specifically a defensive oriented team) and its best floor spacer, he can never the weakest link. Bullock’s been a starter (exclusively) for the past 4 years across 3 teams. Bench or starting, he’s a 25-30 mpg short rotation piece for almost any team. Price was right, and the fit with the Knicks uniquely good. Team building 101 – he’s a guy you bring back for the market price.
Of course, on the Knicks last year, there was no competition for the “weakest link” title regardless, since they didn’t have a starting PG of any quality.
Why not take on salary and add draft capital?
Like what most teams do that aren’t that good.
Example: The grizzles are better than knicks and played their space right and got extra pick by taking Adam’s and Bledsoe.
So How do Knicks fans feel today?
Seems they kinda hedged and I know most people want to see a full swing one way or the other (Star or leave cap wide(r) open )
Im not a true Knicks fan so its harder for me to gauge from the outside – The team looks pretty solid on paper today but solid to me is a 6.5 seed (6 or 7) – Can’t say my jaw didn’t drop a little on the Fournier ink, not that its a huge huge overpay relatively just surprised the overpay went to a guy of his ilk, at this time, to this team
Does Brad know FA started?
Who can be a very good front Court player for the T Pups