The Knicks made the acquisition of veteran guard Evan Fournier official on Tuesday, announcing that they picked up the nine-year veteran in a sign-and-trade from the Boston Celtics along with two future second-round draft picks in exchange for cash considerations.
While the Knicks did not disclose the terms of Fournier’s deal, but multiple reports have tabbed that it is a four-year deal worth approximately $78 million.
“We identified Evan as a key addition as we entered free agency and are ecstatic that he’s joining us,” Knicks president Leon Rose said, “He’s a great teammate, a fierce competitor, and a perfect complement to our returning players. He wants to be a part of what we are building here, and we are happy to have him join our family.”
The 28-year-old has been a steady scorer over the last six seasons, mostly with the Orlando Magic before finishing the 2020-21 season with the Boston Celtics. Over his last 393 games, he’s averaged 16.7 points per game while shooting 37.9% from three-point range.
He was in the midst of a career year last season, posting 19.7 points per game over 26 contests with the Magic before he was dealt to Boston, where he averaged just 13 points per game over 16 appearances.
His three-point shooting has seen a noticeable improvement over the last two years, jumping from 34% in 2018-19 to 39.9% in 2019-20. Last year, that number took another jump to a career-best 41.3%.
The Knicks will be hoping that the trend continues as head coach Tom Thibodeau’s offense is in desperate need of a reliable three-point shooter to stretch the floor. While the Knicks were the best defensive team in the NBA last year, their 107 points per game ranked 26th in the league.
Rose has been plenty busy trying to address that slumping figure as he also acquired four-time All-Star point guard Kemba Walker to pace a suddenly-promising starting five that will include Fournier at the 2, RJ Barrett at small forward, All-Star Julius Randle at power forward, and the developing stalwart in Mitchell Robinson at center.
