Tag: Evan Fournier

Evan Fournier trade should be ‘no-brainer’ for Spurs

Should the San Antonio Spurs make a trade for Evan Fournier?

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8222″]

The San Antonio Spurs have made a bunch of moves this summer after finishing with a disappointing 22-60 record this past season. Their biggest move was selecting Victor Wembanyama with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but they’ve changed the roster in other ways, too.

San Antonio re-signed Tre Jones, Julian Champagnie, and Sandro Mamukelashvili and brought in Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens (who they waived), Reggie Bullock, and Cameron Payne in various different trades. They added a solid veteran presence around their young core, and the offseason isn’t even over yet. There could still be more moves for them to make moving forward.

One player who has been consistently linked to the Spurs is Evan Fournier, and Matt Guzman of  Inside the Spurs thinks the deal should be a “no-brainer” for San Antonio.

“Last season, Fournier averaged just 6.1 points on 30 percent shooting from 3, but the year prior he showed his potential, shooting near 40 percent to average 14.1 points a game,” Guzman wrote. “Perhaps the change of scenery would prove beneficial for the vet, who fell out of the Knicks’ rotation down the stretch last season.

“Plus, being able to add a veteran with the same French connection that Wembanyama has would be extremely beneficial for the 19-year-old’s development. That makes it seem like a no-brainer — at least on paper.

“And for now, that’s all that San Antonio has, so if an obviously beneficial trade is considered a “bold move,” then the Spurs should embrace it.”

Fournier’s French connection to Wembanyama makes this trade way too obvious for San Antonio not to consider it.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Rumors: Spurs showing interest in potential Evan Fournier trade

The San Antonio Spurs are reportedly interested in trading for New York Knicks guard Evan Fournier.

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8222″]

The San Antonio Spurs are in no rush. They just drafted Victor Wembanyama with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, setting them up for a bright future. The 19-year-old Frenchman is already a superstar on and off the court, but with how young he is, the Spurs can take their time putting a winning team around him.

However, that doesn’t mean they won’t look to add this summer. They’ve already traded for a plethora of veterans, including Cedi Osman, Reggie Bullock, and Cameron Payne, and recent rumors have indicated that they could be on the hunt for more additions.

According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Spurs are a team that has shown an interest in trading for New York Knicks guard Evan Fournier.

“I have heard that a few teams – teams that seem like they could make the playoffs – have had interest in acquiring Evan Fournier,” Begley wrote. “One other team that I am keeping an eye on is San Antonio. The Spurs are among those teams who have had interest in acquiring Fournier via trade. Unless they have changed course recently, the Knicks have been against attaching any additional draft compensation in a Fournier trade.

At the start of the offseason, the Spurs had enough cap space available to absorb Fournier’s contract ($18.9 million for 2023-24 and a team option next season). They no longer have the requisite space to absorb the deal. So San Antonio would have to send back salary to satisfy trade rules in a Fournier acquisition.

Something else worth noting on Fournier and the Spurs: Fournier and Spurs No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama share a home country (France) and an agent (Bouna Ndiaye).”

Fournier’s French connection to Wembanyama makes the trade a intriguing option, especially considering the fact that the Knicks are likely looking to offload his contract anyways.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Evan Fournier’s link to Victor Wembanyama sparks Spurs trade rumors

Should the San Antonio Spurs look to trade for Evan Fournier because of his connection to Victor Wembanyama?

The San Antonio Spurs have a new face of the franchise. Their fate was set in stone as soon as they won the draft lottery, as it meant Victor Wembanyama was headed to Texas. Now, the 19-year-old Frenchman, who is already a superstar, is set to take the reins in San Antonio.

As the Spurs look to push forward, almost everything they do will be with Wembanyama’s needs in mind. Obviously, there are other solid players on the roster, but the rookie should be one of their main focuses. And recent comments from fellow Frenchman Evan Fournier have led to some hypothetical Spurs trade rumors.

In an interview with Yann Ohnona of L’Equipe, Fournier spoke about the idea of playing next to Wembanyama under Gregg Popovich. (H/t Matt Guzman of Inside the Spurs)

“It’s not the Spurs of 2014 anymore but playing for Coach Pop and learning from him, it would be a pleasure and an honor, for sure,” Fournier said, translated by Guzman. “Being with Victor looking at the Olympics, being able to start chemistry on the court, that would be great.”

Fournier also spoke about his desire to be traded from the New York Knicks this summer.

“I’m going to be traded, it’s not possible otherwise or I’d be stuck, and so would they,” said Fournier. “They have several players with big contracts coming in. Unless they want to pay a crazy luxury tax.”

Should the Spurs look to bring in Fournier this summer via trade to play alongside Wembanyama?

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

All the players linked to the Knicks in trade rumors

The Knicks are in a great position to make a deal. The type of trade, whether big or small, buying or selling, or financially motivated or not, remains to be seen. As mentioned in HoopsHype’s trade guide, New York’s stability this season, and its …

The Knicks are in a great position to make a deal. The type of trade, whether big or small, buying or selling, or financially motivated or not, remains to be seen. As mentioned in HoopsHype’s trade guide, New York’s stability this season, and its combination of assets and moveable contracts, put them in a position to be buyers ahead of the trade deadline.

They have enough assets with their combination of tradeable first-round picks (up to four of their own and four heavily protected ones from other teams) and young promising prospects like Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin to trade for just about anyone. That was proven last offseason when they were close to acquiring Donovan Mitchell but held a line and ultimately fell short. The Knicks clearly want to acquire an All-Star while not giving up too much so they’ll have enough assets left to get more upgrades later.

Will New York’s pursuit of the next available star limit how aggressive they are ahead of the trade deadline? It’s possible. For example, according to Michael Scotto, the Knicks are unwilling to part with a first-round pick to get off Evan Fournier. He is owed $18.9 million for next season and is no longer in the team’s rotation. This could signal that while the team will be on the lookout for trades that improve the roster for this season, they won’t part with premium assets that would hurt their prospects in a future trade for an All-Star.

Below is a hierarchy of players they’ve been linked to.

Lakers talked Evan Fournier for Kendrick Nunn-Patrick Beverley trade

The Lakers and Knicks reportedly talked about a trade scenario that would’ve brought L.A. small forward Evan Fournier.

Trade talks and rumors are just starting to heat up around the NBA as Thursday will be the first day teams are allowed to trade players they signed as free agents during the offseason.

It is no secret the Los Angeles Lakers need help at both forward positions, particularly with 3-point shooting, and they have targeted three players, in particular, to trade for.

One of those players is the New York Knicks Evan Fournier. In fact, one report said the Knicks had talked to the Lakers about sending them the sharpshooting small forward.

Via Lakers Daily:

“NBA insider Michael Scotto noted that the proposed deal would have sent Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn to the Knicks and was discussed before Knicks forward Cam Reddish was benched.

“‘Before Reddish’s recent benching in New York, the Knicks originally engaged the Lakers to see if they’d have interest in swapping Evan Fournier for Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn, league sources told HoopsHype,’ wrote Scotto. ‘Beverley and Nunn will both become unrestricted free agents after this season.

“‘Since then, the Knicks have reportedly looked to package Reddish with Fournier in various trade talks, per The Athletic’s Fred Katz.'”

The one possible concern is that Fournier, who is a career 38% 3-point shooter, has made just 33.3% of his attempts from beyond the arc this season. In addition, the Knicks seem disappointed in his defense, and he lost his starting job in early November.

Fournier has three years remaining on his contract (including this year) at $18-19 million per season. The third year is a team option.

[mm-video type=video id=01gk22s9y9817hd2qpwr playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gk22s9y9817hd2qpwr/01gk22s9y9817hd2qpwr-9e436df983671930a7a7bc62ddaf61dc.jpg]

[listicle id=88258]

Lakers are reportedly targeting three sharpshooting wings via trade

The Lakers clearly want to trade for at least one forward who can light it up from downtown.

With nearly two months of the 2022-23 NBA season in the books, trade season is nearing, and the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make a big splash.

They need improved depth at both forward positions, as well as improved 3-point shooting to get closer to becoming a true championship contender.

The team has won nine of its last 13 games and there is a sense it is finding itself, yet it doesn’t have enough pieces to maximize its strengths.

According to one report, the Lakers are zeroing in on three forwards they hope can plug some holes.

Via Lakers Daily:

“Los Angeles is reportedly prioritizing shooting in its conversations with other teams, which is obviously an area where the Lakers have plenty of room for improvement.

“‘Following a 2-10 start, the Los Angeles Lakers, now 11-15 and three games out of sixth place, have turned their season around and are seen as a key team in the trade market this season,’ wrote Shams Charania of The Athletic. ‘The Lakers are prioritizing shooting in their conversations with teams, and have discussed packages including salaries and a protected first-round pick for Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanovic, league sources, who were granted anonymity so that they could speak freely, tell The Athletic. They’ve also discussed concepts involving New York’s Cam Reddish and Evan Fournier, sources said.'”

Bogdanovic is someone L.A. has been interested in dating to the summer. He is having a career season, averaging 21 points a game on 50.8% overall shooting and 43.7% from 3-point range.

Fournier has been viewed as a disappointment by the New York Knicks, and although he has historically been a good 3-point shooter, his accuracy is down this season. Meanwhile, his teammate, Reddish, has been thought to have potential as a 3-and-D player, but hasn’t panned out yet.

[mm-video type=video id=01gk22s9y9817hd2qpwr playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gk22s9y9817hd2qpwr/01gk22s9y9817hd2qpwr-9e436df983671930a7a7bc62ddaf61dc.jpg]

[listicle id=88131]

Trade rumor rankings: Zach LaVine, Kyle Kuzma and more

HoopsHype ranks the five players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the prior week, including Zach LaVine.

As we get closer to the 2022-23 trade deadline, we are back for another installment of the NBA trade rumors rankings series where we rank the five players who have appeared most often in rumors on our trade page over the prior week.

Finding a player on this list doesn’t mean they are sure to get traded, but there have been instances in the past where a player will make their debut in our rankings series and get traded shortly thereafter.

Below, check out our NBA trade rumors rankings, a list featuring the likes of Zach LaVine and Kyle Kuzma, as well as other role players.

On this day: Marcus Smart, Marcus Banks, Darren Tillis, Carlos Clark debut; Fournier born

On this day in Celtics history, Marcus Smart, Marcus Banks, Darren Tillis, Carlos Clark debut, and Evan Fournier was born

On this day in Boston Celtics history, veteran guard Marcus Smart made his debut for the team in a 121-105 win for the team. It came fittingly against the Brooklyn Nets, with whose pick the Celtics had used to draft the Flower Mound, Texas native out of Oklahoma State in the draft held earlier that summer.

The former Cowboy played just under 28 minutes in the win — a considerable stretch for a rookie at any point, never mind a debut performance. The Texan scored 10 points on 7-of-3 shooting, including going 1-for-4 from beyond the arc in a foreshadowing of his first few seasons with the team, and pulled down 2 rebounds, and as many assists.

Smart also nabbed an impressive 4 steals that foreshadowed his future with the team as a defensive specialist.

For Evan and Isaiah Mobley, Cavs’ preseason finale brought special meaning

The Cavaliers’ preseason finale on Friday turned out to have a special meaning for Evan and Isaiah Mobley.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Preseason in the NBA is an odd time in sports.

Wins and losses don’t matter. Championship contenders sometimes go winless. Teams experiment with different lineups, often resulting in some odd combinations on the court. All the while, players just want to escape healthy and without injury.

When the Cleveland Cavaliers took the court for their preseason finale on Friday, the matchup against the Orlando Magic seemed much more than a meaningless exhibition game.

It may not have seemed that way from the outside looking in, though.

All-Stars Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen didn’t travel with the team to get more rest ahead of the season opener Wednesday in Toronto.

Several others, including Kevin Love, were also absent.

While much of the starting lineup was winding down the preseason, Rookie of the Year runner-up Evan Mobley was just ramping up. He missed the first three games of the preseason due to a sprained ankle and was finally cleared to play on Friday.

Not wanting to run Mobley too hard, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff gave him just enough playing time to knock off some rust and get some minutes on the court. He responded by scoring eight points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal in 16 minutes.

Mobley looked to pick up where he left off last season.

He got involved early and flourished against the frontline of the Magic, from finishing through contact to drawing fouls. He would get to the free-throw line six times in the first quarter, further proving he is healthy and ready to go.

“I thought he looked comfortable,” Bickerstaff said.

With the team seeing everything it needed to from its franchise cornerstone, the final tune-up game also gave observers a wholesome moment between Mobley and his older brother, Isaiah: Their first NBA game together.

The Cavaliers drafted Isaiah 49th out of USC this year in the NBA draft. He signed a two-way contract with the team after a strong junior year with the Trojans, in which he was named to the All-Pac-12 first team and honorable mention All-Defensive team.

Because Evan made his preseason debut, it was the first opportunity for the two brothers to share the court together in the NBA and Bickerstaff wasted no time getting them in the game. With 4:37 left in the first quarter, Evan and Isaiah checked in.

“It was a little weird hearing our names at the same time,” Evan said.

They played together during the 2020-21 season when Evan was a freshman. Evan was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year, while Isaiah had a tremendous run in the NCAA Tournament to help the Trojans reach the Elite Eight.

But, playing in the NBA together is different.

“It was super cool,” Isaiah told Rookie Wire. “Being able to play with my brother on the same team and get some action together, it was super cool. Hopefully, we’ll get some more opportunities to do that.”

Evan and Isaiah each entered their names in the NBA draft last year. Evan stayed in and eventually became the third pick by the Cavaliers. He narrowly lost out on Rookie of the Year to Scottie Barnes while Isaiah returned to school for one more year.

Isaiah worked tirelessly last year on his game, and that resulted in hearing his name called in the second round. He had a good run with the Cavaliers in the Las Vegas Summer League and performed well during his limited time this preseason.

He produced eight points, three rebounds and three assists in a preseason-high 20 minutes of work on Friday in the 114-108 loss to the Magic. He finished by shooting 4-of-6 from the field for his best outing.

Evan can see the improvement Isaiah made.

He definitely improved on his shooting. He was really working on that all summer and the past year that he went back. Also, just improving his body and getting in better shape. I feel like that is what he has really been working on all summer.

Brothers playing on the same team isn’t necessarily a new concept. In fact, the Mobleys were on the court on Friday at the same time as Franz and Moe Wagner. Having Evan on the team with a year under his belt will certainly help Isaiah.

Evan has plenty of advice to offer Isaiah.

“Just come in, be comfortable and be like a sponge and soak it all in,” Evan said. “It is definitely a lot to learn in the first year always. You’re going to make some rookie mistakes but just stay focused and stay solid and it is going to be all good.”

Said Isaiah of Evan:

“He has been great but the whole team (has been great), as well. From Donovan Mitchell all the way down. The guys have been helping me a lot — being in the right spots, what to do, what not to do.”

The upcoming year will likely look drastically different for both players.

The team has high expectations for Evan after a tremendous rookie campaign last year. He helped anchor a defense that ranked fifth in the NBA. On the other side, Isaiah will spend some of the season in the NBA G League and largely be in a developmental role.

In other words, opportunities for the two brothers to share the court may be few and far between. Their parents were on hand to watch them on Friday and the team, as a whole, was excited to share that moment.

“It is, obviously, special to have the opportunity to play (together) in the NBA, it doesn’t happen often,” Bickerstaff said. “As a family, understanding their character and how special their bond is, it makes even that much more fun to be a part of and be present in that moment.”

[lawrence-related id=37808,75817,73379]

[mm-video type=video id=01gf7aaz6zvrmj6j1m0y playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jxkahtwnvzepyp image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gf7aaz6zvrmj6j1m0y/01gf7aaz6zvrmj6j1m0y-d3782afd18d8c693fcc2a9fb22caf35f.jpg]

[listicle id=80315]

New HoopsHype analysis grades NBA Celtics alumni play in the 2022 EuroBasket

The Boston Celtics had a number of alumni currently signed to other NBA teams participating in the 2022 European Basketball Championship.

The Boston Celtics had a number of alumni currently signed to other NBA teams participating in the 2022 European Basketball Championship (better known as the EuroBasket). They even had one of them, Toronto Raptors forward Juancho Hernagomez, play an instrumental role in helping the Spanish National Team win gold against the French National Team and three other Celtics alumni (Guerschon Yabusele, Evan Fournier, and Vincent Poirier).

Albert De Roa of HoopsHype recently put together an article grading the play of NBAers participating this year in the quadrennial competition, and a few former Boston players found themselves held in high regard.

Let’s take a look at his assessments of the ex-Celtics NBA players who took part in the EuroBasket.