Getty Image / Nic Antaya
A couple of years ago, the New York Knicks found themselves trying to build a roster that could continue the success of making their first NBA Playoff appearance in years.
To do that, the Knicks made a couple of big moves.
One was signing Kemba Walker. That was a disaster. He ended up being traded in the middle of his first season with the Knicks and was traded to dump salary after that first year.
The other big move was trading for Evan Fournier in a sign-and-trade-deal with the Celtics.
That move was alright for the first year. Fournier scored 14.1 points per game for the Knicks in his first year with the team and gave them a shooter to stretch the floor.
In year 2, the move started to look like a really bad one. Fournier struggled for the Knicks in his 2nd season with them and ended up being benched early in the year. He appeared in just 27 games for the Knicks in his 2nd season with the organization.
Now he has revealed that he is just as unhappy with the situation as Knicks fans.
In a recent interview with L’Equipe, Fournier revealed that he has had no relationship with Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau since he was benched.
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“I have nothing to say because I have none,” Fournier said when he was asked about his relationship with Thibodeau (via BasketNews).“When he took me out of the five, he just told me he was going to try something else. Then at the first match of a road trip, he announced to me that I was leaving the rotation, and ciao.”
The Knicks have been trying to get rid of Fournier and Knicks fans would love to see him off the roster.
His 4-year, $73 million contract looks pretty awful right now, especially if the Knicks aren’t going to use him at all.
The good news for Knicks fans is that the team can opt out of Fournier’s deal after the 2023-24 season.
Only having one year left on the contract could convince some team out there to take him off the Knicks’ hands if they’ll throw something in to sweeten the deal.
The New York Knicks, their fans, and Evan Fournier all want Fournier to spend next season somewhere else. Now the team just needs to find a way to make it happen.