Traded Evan Fournier Thanks Knicks Fans, Support 'Meant the World'
The New York Knicks have officially bid adieu to Evan Fournier.
Alongside three fellow former New Yorkers, the French-born sharpshooter was part of the Knicks' blockbuster trade deadline deal that acquired Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons. Thus ends Fournier's three-year tenure with the Knicks, the latter two spent mostly in exile as he was mostly relegated to the bench after losing the team's primary shooting guard spot in the early stages of last season.
Fournier took to X to thank his metropolitan supporters after the Knicks and Pistons made their deal official.
"Thank you to all the Knicks fans who supported me throughout my time here in New York, meant the world," Fournier wrote. "Excited for my next chapter."
Vincent Carchietta, USA TODAY SPORTS
Fournier averaged 11.8 points in 110 appearances with the Knicks, which included three this season and 87 starts. He does take a bit of New York history with him, as Fournier set a franchise record with 241 successful three-point attempts during his debut campaign. Fournier made seven starts last season before he was replaced by Cam Reddish and later Quentin Grimes, who was also included in Thursday's trade for Bogdanovic and Burks.
At 31, Fournier should at least get an opportunity to reclaim the narrative of his NBA career after his burial on the Knicks' depth chart. Fournier's contract has a $19 million team option on it for next season so the remainder of his season could essentially serve as an audition. The woebegone Pistons (8-43) will no doubt welcome his outside shooting abilities, as they currently rank 28th in successful three-pointers per game.
Fournier, Grimes, and the Pistons are due for one more visit to Madison Square Garden on Feb. 26. In the meantime, they'll potentially make their Motor City debuts on Saturday when the Pistons face the Los Angeles Clippers (3:30 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Detroit).
