In addition to a few playoff hopefuls, the Spurs have also shown some interest in trading for Knicks wing Evan Fournier, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
As Begley outlines, Fournier shares an agent with fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick of last month’s draft. Fournier spoke last week about being intrigued by the possibility of joining San Antonio.
The 30-year-old’s $18.9MM pseudo-expiring contract (he has a team option worth $19MM in 2024/25) wouldn’t be viewed favorably by rival teams after he was pulled from New York’s rotation early last season. Fournier appeared in just 27 games in ’22/23, averaging 6.1 PPG and 1.8 RPG while shooting career worsts of 40.4% on twos and 30.7% on threes.
On the other hand, Fournier started all 80 of his games in ’21/22, averaging 14.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.0 SPG while converting the fourth-most three-pointers in the league (241, a career high). He holds a career mark of 37.9% from beyond the arc.
After making multiple deals this offseason, the Spurs no longer have the salary cap room to accommodate Fournier’s salary outright, Begley notes — they’d have to send salary back to adhere to the NBA’s trade rules. The Knicks also haven’t shown any inclination to attach draft assets to move off Fournier’s contract, Begley adds, but presumably would be more open to doing so if they could get a potential rotation player or two in return.
Fournier has come up in a couple other trade rumors this summer, but he remains on the Knicks’ roster for now, although he certainly hopes that isn’t the case when the season starts. It’s worth noting that Begley’s article is a week old, and a report a few days ago indicated Fournier could eventually become a buyout candidate if New York can’t trade him.
Begley’s mailbag column also touches on a handful of other topics. For example, he expresses skepticism that the Knicks were ever seriously interested in Bulls guard/forward Zach LaVine this offseason, despite having exploratory trade talks on the two-time All-Star at the February deadline. Begley also hears the Raptors were shutting down trade inquiries on OG Anunoby — a player the Knicks like — earlier this month.
Can’t stand him in NY. Now he’s going to land in San Antonio? Ugh…
He ain’t going nowhere. This is just his agent trying to stir something up. Fournier absolutely wants to land in San Antonio. He thinks they are one of the few teams that will give him minutes.
Knicks will continue to hold the contract as a salary filler up until the trade deadline waiting for a player they like to become available.
The Knicks have a solid rotation, young player assets, a bunch of draft picks, and Fournier’s contract as salary filler. No need to rush. They are in a good spot.
RJ and OG play the same position. They aren’t a good mix together. Knicks need shooting and clutch scoring. None of which Anunoby brings. Plus Raptors think he’s worth Dame value ……. no thanks
Knicks are not buying him out. Or trading him to Spurs. He’s an expiring contract we can attach picks and players. To get a real talent. That’s what Grimes, Quickley, even Mitch plus picks can do.
OG shot 39% from three and 47% from the corner on 5.5 attempts per game last season and was a net positive in clutch minutes for each of the last two seasons with a massive jump in defensive efficiency in the clutch. You’d rather have him than Barrett on any team.
You’d rather ……
Team is about chemistry. And NYC is not for everyone. I know RJ is a fighter. He’s a better scorer and imo has a better future. Your Moreyon take on them is just that. Means nothing to a winning team. We are in the playoffs with RJ at 20 and 22 yrs old. Where was OG at 20 and 22.
OG won a title when he was 22.
OG is a better shooter and defender than RJ. Stop with the delusional BS AL dont be fooled by RJs good moments in the playoffs he still can’t shoot his way out a paper bag and he regressed horribly during thr regular season and IQ was the Knicks third best player this year after Brunson and Randle and that’s facts.
I’m sure the NYK would give Fournier to the SAS for any replacement expiring contract(s) they want to send back. I’m pretty sure the same offer would be made to the other 28 teams. Beyond that, or a VERY significant buyout offer from him, Fournier almost certainly stays on the roster.
TOR’s valuation of guys like Siakam and Anunoby is obviously much higher than the market, and they have every right to keep checking back every 6 months to see if anything has changed. But to what end if their opinions on the guys hasn’t changed? They have to know a match is highly unlikely.
Dougie mcbuckets ?
Could creep towards using the bae if so / not sure anyone worth it currently tho .. Wood would prolly put thibs in the er
Fournier for McDermott makes sense for all parties. Maybe send SA cash to offset Fournier’s higher salary. Knicks could then use the BAE (on, say, Wood) and still have plenty of breathing room.
Wood would put Thibs into cardiac arrest based on his defense.
Works cap-wise. I’d do it in a heartbeat if I were the Knicks. Even if the plan were to release McDermott, as it would still give them some more room under the tax line and a second TPE too.
I don’t see Wood to the NYK for the reasons noted, and also because I suspect that the NYK won’t be able to offer the role/minutes he would likely be looking for if he signs a lower dollar contract.
McDermott has no D, worse than Evan. Got no handle. Is just a spot up shooter. He’s not better than Evan. So why would you take that. We can just buy out Evan for that. McDermott salary is worse than Evan. Makes no sense. Fournier is a starter on most teams. For us his value is as an expiring contract. We waited this long. We can wait another six months if we have to TD.
McDermott is cheaper and on an expiring
It open up a nice cushion for your td later as well on the ledger. Pretty simple concept here
Cut Birch, then trade Osman and Bullock for Fournier? Toss a few seconds either way?
Why cut Birch? Just keep him on the roster as a salary matching piece. Cutting him doesnt seem necessary to do a trade.
Bullock + Osman for Fournier + value could be a good move for both teams.
Spurs can get something of value (cash, picks or pick swaps) and a bigger salary-matching contract while reducing their number of players. They would also get a french-speaking mentor for Wembanyama, that they could still decide to buy-out.
Osman can go into the Toppin trade exception, increasing the size by a little over a million and extending the date by about one month. Bullock seems like a more useable player that will cause less locker room issues than Fournier.
A trade including Birch wouldnt allow to increase the trade exception, but that doesn’t mean Birch’s salary couldn’t be useful in another trade.
Keep Bullock and play him. If he shoots 37% or higher from behind the arc his trade value will far exceed Evan Fournier.
They obviously could and should get value for Bullock now.
But maybe Bullock has a better value close to the trade deadline indeed.
They could even do a trade Khem Birch + Cedi Osman for Fournier.
Fournier and a lot picks for Keldon Johnson
The problem with many of these ideas (including my idea above to sign Wood) is that the Knicks have a nine-man rotation, many of whom deserve more minutes than they’ll likely get. There’s no room for a 10th.
Either we swap Fournier for other end-of-bench guys (who won’t b***h about it), or we bundle him with a rotation player and picks to get an upgrade on that slot. And since, as a Knicks fan, I irrationally overrate our current players, nothing in the latter category appeals to me.
You have 7 non-centers in your 9 man rotation. Given each one 5 planned days off, or more. That’s 35 games. Then there’s injuries. You can cobble together 70 games for the 10th man in the 9 man rotation.
Fournier has a decent game. Very good shooter and a pretty good secondary playmaker. Yes, he is overpaid, but he would be great off the bench for a variety of teams.
Playmaker? He can barely dribble the ball for 5 seconds before turning it over.
Your assessment on Fournier is like 3 years old at this point
The only roster spot that’s set is Brunson. Yes you could technically upgrade from him, but hes a great fit scheme/team/city. They can upgrade over RJ, Randle, Robinson, and Grimes/Hart. Why they haven’t chosen to do so is beyond me.
OG, Siakam, Myles Turner, Towns, DeRozan all positional upgrades that could be had.
With the right trade or 2, Knicks could make a deep playoff run.
To MIN:
Quickley
McDermott (Expiring)
Graham
Birch (Expiring)
+ Picks
To NYK:
Towns
McLaughlin
Minott
Bassey
To SAS:
Fournier (Expiring)
Robinson
Wolves get off Towns contract. acquire IQ as PG of the future and Graham to backup once Conley’s deal ends if he can’t re-sign, plus expiring dollars to help pay McDaniels/IQ extensions.
Knicks get off Fournier and acquire Towns at the cost of IQ, Robinson, and picks. Rest of the players fill end of bench depth and balance roster counts/money in deal.
Spurs acquire Fournier who they want, and Robinson who is a good piece as the payment for facilitating a workable Towns-to-NYK deal that doesn’t cost the Knicks a better player like Grimes, Barrett, etc.
I would of tried to trade Fournier, Randle and picks for someone instead of dealing OB1 for nothing.
The Wolves would laugh at the idea of moving Towns for that package of backups and the Spurs would look like idiots with two starting centers that would not be able to co-exist on the court at the same time.
Fair enough, a lot of that would be dependent on the volume of picks Wolves receive in the deal. As a MIN fan I am laser focused on a young future PG and between who is gettable and also would want KAT, I get stuck on IQ who I think can play that role. ON the Spurs end, I don’t pretend to follow super close but I know they were sniffing around guys like Capela even with Wemby, so Mitch as an extra piece didn’t seem like much of a stretch.
This seems weird… honestly seems like it has more to do with him being French than it does his skill set
Fournier/McBride for McDermott/Bassey
Good change-of-scenery for both guys. Knicks could still use McDermotts salary in a trade deadline move
No thanks. Duece is a keeper
Well then make it Jeffries instead of Mcbride. Spurs need to send out more salary than just Dougie which would mean the Knicks need to send out another player too to create roster space