Rudy Gobert Rips New York Knicks, Evan Fournier Trade Rumors
The New York Knicks still have Evan Fournier on their roster despite the veteran's repeated dissatisfaction with his current role. While the situation appears less hostile than it was a few months ago, Fournier is an awkward entrant on the New York ledger after falling out of the Knicks' rotation last season.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert learned more about Fournier's situation while the two competed for France at the FIBA Basketball World Cup over the summer. After the Timberwolves topped Fournier's Knicks in a Saturday preseason game at Madison Square Garden, Gobert expressed sympathy for his fellow Frenchman.
“I think he can contribute and help a lot of teams," Gobert said via Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. "I think everybody knows it. But it’s kind of weird when you end up on the bench and you don’t really know why. Sometimes you can be stuck in a situation. I know he’s going to have an opportunity again, and everybody will understand that he can help and win and do it at a high level and do it every night.”
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) fights for the ball against New York Knicks guard Quentin Grimes (6) and center Mitchell Robinson (23) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Fournier was the Knicks' starting shooting guard at the onset of last season but he was eventually replaced by second-year man Quentin Grimes and ejected from head coach Tom Thibodeau's nine-man set entirely. In the new calendar year, Fournier appeared in only 12 games, most of those appearances brought about by injuries or garbage time.
In 27 total appearances, Fournier averaged 6.1 points and shot a career-worst 31 percent from three-point range. That latter mark came a year after he set a Knicks single-season franchise record for most three-pointers.
It remains to be seen what Fournier's role will look like this year, but the Knicks already have a backcourt surplus: with Donte DiVincenzo joining a group that already features Grimes, Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley, Fournier may be fighting 2021 draft pick Miles McBride for fringe minutes at the end of the bench.
Over the first two preseason games, Fournier has gotten his share of opportunities: in just over 20 minutes a game, he has averaged 13 points and has hit just over 46 percent from deep. It's no guarantee that the Knicks will continue to field Fournier come the regular season but it must feel rewarding for Gobert to see his teammate vindicate him.
Fournier and the Knicks play their penultimate preseason game on Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).
