Evan Fournier is the most obvious trade candidate on the Knicks roster and by some margin. Fournier himself made this clear almost immediately after the team was eliminated from the playoffs last season, stating that “there’s no way they’re holding me back.”
It’s easy to see why he would think that. The Frenchman had a truncated season in 2022-23 and played just 27 games, but his role on the pitch was also substantially reduced. He started just seven of those games, averaging 6.1 points per 17 minutes, and fell out of the rotation midway through the season, ultimately not touching the court during their playoff run.
The Knicks already have three guards well ahead of Fournier: Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes, and Immanuel Quickley, while RJ Barrett, Josh Hart and now Donte DiVincenzo would also be favored at the guard/small forward position he would play. Additionally, Fournier has a hefty contract worth nearly $19 million this year – not exactly a price the Knicks will be willing to pay given how low Fournier sits in the pecking order.
While a trade hasn’t been finalized yet, there has been plenty of interest in Fournier, with one Spurs name in particular popping up with some regularity. The Spurs, of course, have a long history with French players and just got a young Frenchman who apparently has some talent, so there would be an element of symmetry with him heading to San Antonio. But whether it’s the Spurs or someone else, the Knicks need to get Fournier off the books.