Evan Fournier
Again, we’re early enough in so-called trade season that not every player that’s on the trade block has a million rumors floating around them. Such is the case for Evan Fournier, but that doesn’t mean that he might not be on the move.
In a recent piece from Basketball Insiders’ Steve Kyler covering the bottom teams in the NBA, he mentions that the Magic could very well agree to a deal for Fournier and that, while they won’t go all out fire sale on the team, they could be very big players in the trade market. Therefore, if the Jazz want to add some more offense and solid three-point shooting, they could very well look Fournier’s way.
He’s averaging 17.9 points on 40 percent shooting from deep this season and has been a pretty consistent contributor. Not to mention, due to his French background and the interactions we’ve seen on Twitter, he and Rudy Gobert could potentially have a solid chemistry.
For the Jazz to get him, they’d probably have to give up some pretty substantial talent such as Rodney Hood and another piece, but if Utah is looking to shake things up or is concerned about how much Hood might demand in restricted free agency this summer, it could very well be worth it. Fournier isn’t a massive upgrade over Hood by any means, but he is more efficient and more consistent, which could pay dividends in the long run, especially if the young 25-year-old continues to improve.
Perhaps the most worrisome thing about Fournier is that he is owed $17 million dollars each year until through the 2020-21 season. That’s not atrociously high, especially if he can continue to improve, but it’s enough money and for enough seasons that if he takes a downturn at all or doesn’t get much better, it could become a detrimental contract not too far down the road.
Expect an active trade deadline for the #Magic: https://t.co/lDDCNa4BZ1
— Orlando Magic Daily (@OMagicDaily) January 6, 2018
That is a little bit scary and makes pursuing him quite risky. However, given his three-point ability, his potential for growth and the thought of a Gobert-Fournier connection, I think if the price is right, it’s a gamble that the Jazz could very well look to take. Unfortunately, I don’t know that Utah really has enough of the right pieces that Orlando would be looking for to make this trade go through, unless they’re hoping do dump Fournier’s contract for some expiring contracts.
There’s a lot of unknowns regarding the possibility of a Fournier deal, but I’d certainly say it’s well within the realm of possibilities.