Evan Fournier

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Trade Deadline, Quickley, Randle

February 8th, 2022 at 8:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is uncertain of his long-term future in New York, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Robinson will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

“Whatever happens, happens,” Robinson said of his future with the Knicks. “It’s still in the season. You’re not worried about the offseason or the break.”

Berman notes that the Pistons, Pelicans and Mavericks have all previously been mentioned as being potential suitors for the 23-year-old defensive stalwart during the 2022 offseason.

“He’s very gifted,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I think he’s learned a lot over the last couple of years. I think he knows his opponents a lot better and [he is] a lot stronger than he was three years ago, when he came into the league.”

There’s more out of the City That Never Sleeps:

The struggling Knicks have plenty of roster decisions to make ahead of this Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. Fred Katz of The Athletic considers which New York players are the best bets to be traded, identifying veteran guards Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier and Alec Burks as this week’s most likely trade candidates. Katz pegs New York native Walker, in the first season of a two-year, $18MM contract he signed in free agency with the Knicks last summer, as the most probable candidate to be shipped out.
Young Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley has seen his scoring take a dive during his second season, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Entering tonight’s game, Quickley, who has slid behind Walker and Quentin Grimes in the club’s guard rotation, has connected on just 28.6% from the floor and 28.8% from long range across his last 13 games. “I think when he gets a couple easy shots, then I think he can get into rhythm,” coach Tom Thibodeau said optimistically. “We believe in him. We believe in his shot. He’s got a great shot. Just take the right ones, take the open ones, and if you’re guarded well — you’re seeing more blitzes. You’re getting a lot of attention. Just get off the ball. Don’t fight the pressure.”
The Knicks have gotten off to an 0-2 start to their current road trip as they continue to search for a cure to what ails them ahead of the encroaching trade deadline. The team has also lost eight of its last ten games overall. Embattled power forward Julius Randle appeared to chalk up the club’s issues on the jaunt to chemistry problems, as Marc Berman of the New York Post details. “I just feel like sometimes we have to be more aware of what’s going on and execute on both ends of the floor,” he said. “We gotta be more aware. A couple possessions in a row that aren’t good possessions, we just gotta be more aware and tighten things up on both ends.” Following an All-NBA 2020/21 season, Randle production and value as a primary scoring threat have fallen off during a mediocre ’21/22 campaign.

New York Notes: Irving, Nash, Brunson, All-Star Weekend

February 2nd, 2022 at 9:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets have been close to unbeatable when Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving are on the court together, but that lineup hasn’t been seen much since the three stars teamed up last January. Irving tells Nick Friedell of ESPN that he thinks “daily” about how good the team could be if all three were playing on a regular basis.

“It’s not something that is shortsighted for us,” Irving said. “We think about the long term and how well we jell together as a trio. And when we say as a trio we’re not excluding anybody else on the team, but we just know that the energy runs through us, and when we’re flowing out there and we’re playing — I think James said it last year — there’s not a lot of teams that could be out on the floor with us that can match up very well with us.”

Of course, Irving is a major reason why the trio has barely been together this season. He has played in just nine games so far because of his refusal to comply with New York City’s vaccination requirement and the Nets’ reluctance to have him as a part-time player until their roster was decimated by the virus.

There’s more from New York:

Nets coach Steve Nash is trying to keep his team focused through a slew of injuries and its longest losing streak in two years, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn was on top of the East 11 days ago, but it’s in danger of moving down into play-in territory after dropping five straight games. “They haven’t dropped their heads because we’ve lost games. We’ve had a tough schedule with a lot of guys out of the lineup, and we can’t lose that connectivity and that energy and that spirit,” Nash said. “To me, there’s no moral victories, but we’re moving in the right direction.”
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban‘s desire to keep Jalen Brunson through the trade deadline is bad news for the Knicks, contends Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Brunson will be a free agent this summer, but he’ll reportedly be seeking about $80MM over four years, which exceeds New York’s available cap space unless team president Leon Rose can clear out a few contracts. The Knicks need immediate help at point guard, but there are few good options on the market considering what they have to offer. Sources tell Bondy that New York is looking to unload Evan Fournier, Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks and Kemba Walker and hopes to create playing time for newly acquired Cam Reddish.
With Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin and Quentin Grimes bypassed for the Rising Stars competition, it looks like the Knicks won’t have any representatives in any of the games at All-Star Weekend, notes Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Knicks Open To Moving Walker, Fournier, Burks

January 28th, 2022 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are open to discussing several of their veteran players in trade talks ahead of the February 10 deadline, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst told Malika Andrews during an appearance on NBA Today on Thursday (video link).

“In conversations this week with teams, the Knicks have expressed a willingness to trade some of their veteran players,” Windhorst said. “That includes Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, Alec Burks, guys like this.”

Walker, Fournier, and Burks all received multiyear contracts from the Knicks during the 2021 offseason. However, Walker has been considered available since he struggled out of the gate and temporarily fell out of the team’s rotation.

Fournier has also had an up-and-down season, and New York hasn’t played especially well when he’s on the court, registering a -5.1 net rating, compared to a +3.1 mark when he sits. Burks has been fairly solid, but Windhorst says the 23-26 Knicks are looking for a way to clear a logjam in their rotation and trying to find more effective lineup combinations.

“They traded for Cam Reddish two weeks ago and he is not getting minutes in the rotation from (head coach) Tom Thibodeau. And Derrick Rose is expected to come back from injury very soon here,” Windhorst said. “It’s just too crowded, and they’re not playing well with what they have. So they’re willing to change that mix, and they’ve related that.”

While Windhorst only mentions three players, it’s probably safe to assume that the Knicks would be willing to move others. Nerlens Noel and Mitchell Robinson are among the players whose names could surface in trade rumors before February 10. Even Julius Randle shouldn’t be viewed as a lock to be a Knick through the deadline, given his dip in production and his adversarial relationship with fans and reporters this year.

None of the contracts on New York’s books are too onerous to move, and the team controls a ton of extra second-round picks – as well as Dallas’ 2023 first-rounder (top-10 protected) – so the front office will have plenty of ammo to grease the wheels for potential trades if favorable opportunities arise.

Knicks Notes: Randle, Toppin, Fournier, Trade Deadline, Barrett

January 6th, 2022 at 8:55pm CST by Rory Maher

After a slow start to the season, Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle says he’s not concerned with the reactions from the media or fans, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

I really don’t give a f— what anybody has to say, to be honest,” Randle said Wednesday. “I’m out there playing. Nobody knows the game out there better than I do, compared to what everybody has to say. So I really don’t give a s—. I just go out there and play.”

Randle scored 30 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out four assists in New York’s 104-94 victory over Indiana on Tuesday, his first game back after contracting COVID-19. His season averages of 19.6 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 4.9 APG on .423/.327/.767 shooting are down from last season’s All-Star campaign, when he averaged 24.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 6.0 APG on .456/.411/.811 shooting.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

In a member-only article for the New York Post, Marc Berman spoke to NBA experts to explore what has been hindering Obi Toppin‘s three-point shot. The second-year forward has carved out a rotational role off the bench this season, but is shooting just 21.1% from deep on 1.7 attempts per game.
Free agent addition Evan Fournier had been struggling of late, but coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t consider sending him to the bench, according to Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post. “Not really,” Thibodeau said Wednesday, when asked if he had considered trying Fournier with the second unit. Never known for his defense, Fournier was shooting a career-low 40.3% from the field through 37 games this season, all starts. “Even when he’s not shooting, he spaces the floor for us, so I do like that aspect,” Thobodeau said. “The one thing [is] about trying to get our second unit to stay intact as much as we can. Those guys have played really well together for a while now.” Fournier justified Thibodeau’s faith by erupting for 41 points against Boston on Thursday.
Thibodeau was a driving force behind the team signing Fournier in the offseason, sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who explores moves the Knicks might consider making at the trade deadline. Fischer notes that the Knicks have had internal discussions about acquiring Ben Simmons, but they’ve never called the Sixers with any type of deal structure, according to league sources. Fischer also writes that freeing a roster spot by becoming involved in the Rajon Rondo trade gives New York added flexibility ahead of the deadline.
In order for the Knicks to become a legitimate title contender, the team needs 21-year-old RJ Barrett to develop into a star, Ian O’Connor of the New York Post opines. Like Randle, Barrett had a strong performance on Tuesday, scoring 32 points, but his shooting percentages are down this season compared to last. Barrett banked in a game-winning three at the buzzer to beat the Celtics 108-105 on Thursday night.

Knicks Notes: Knox, Fournier, Walker, Toppin

December 16th, 2021 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

Forward Kevin Knox entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Thursday, becoming the fourth Knicks player to do so within the last week, per an announcement from the team (via Twitter). Knox joins RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, and Quentin Grimes in the protocols and will be unavailable for at least 10 days or until he returns two consecutive negative COVID-19 tests at least 24 hours apart.

It’s unfortunate timing for Knox, who played 49 total minutes in the Knicks’ last two games after having logged just 22 minutes across six games in the first seven-plus weeks of the regular season. We’ll see if he gets a chance to earn playing time once he clears the protocols and is available again.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

As Steve Popper of Newsday writes, determining a starting lineup and rotation with a COVID-depleted roster was already turning a challenge for head coach Tom Thibodeau, who will now be down one more player for at least the team’s Thursday game in Houston.
Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker became trade-eligible on Wednesday, and while Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post could imagine the Knicks moving Walker by February 10, he says it’s more difficult to envision a deal involving Fournier, who is in the first season of a four-year contract. For what it’s worth, another report this week indicated there’s very little interest around the league in Walker.
In his latest mailbag for The Athletic, Fred Katz explores the Knicks’ defensive struggles, what’s next for Kemba, and whether there’s room for Obi Toppin to take on a larger role.

New York Notes: Claxton, Kemba, Noel, Thibs

December 7th, 2021 at 10:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The return of springy young Nets big man Nicolas Claxton to action could help improve the uneven play of All-Star shooting guard James Harden, says Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post. Claxton, much like Harden’s former Rockets running mate Clint Capela, can serve as a prime rim-rolling recipient of Harden lobs. Claxton has appeared in just six Brooklyn games for the 2021/22 season due to a non-COVID-19 illness.

“It would be great to get Nic going again, getting him fully functioning again,” Nets head coach Steve Nash said of Claxton’s return. “We saw him Friday night and obviously it looked like he hadn’t played in a while, was fouling and just a little out of rhythm. And that’s normal for a guy who has had that much of a layoff, lost a bunch of weight, is trying to get himself back in shape. By the end of the year, we would love Nic to be a great add to what we do on both ends of the floor.”

On Tuesday night, in a 102-99 defeat of the Mavericks, Claxton suited up for nearly 21 minutes off the bench. The 6’11” big man logged six points and nine boards in just his second game back from his illness.

There’s more out of the Big Apple:

The Knicks would likely consult Kemba Walker were they to seriously consider trading the veteran point guard, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Walker, a former four-time All-Star with the Hornets and Celtics, has been demoted from starter to DNP-CD, and has not suited up for New York at all since November 26. The 31-year-old is averaging career lows of 11.7 PPG, 3.1 APG and 2.6 RPG.
Knicks center Nerlens Noel returned to New York’s starting lineup, replacing Mitchell Robinson in the role, ahead of Tuesday night’s 121-109 victory over the 8-15 Spurs, per Steve Popper of Newsday. Noel took and made just one field goal, but also chipped in eight rebounds, three dimes, one steal and a block in the win. Robinson, meanwhile, enjoyed a terrific night with the second unit, notching 11 points and 14 boards. The Knicks snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory and returned to .500 on the season with a 12-12 record. Robinson conceded that, as a result of an offseason surgery and subsequent weight gain, he has struggled with his conditioning, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “I’m getting tired real quick,” Robinson said before Tuesday’s game. “I run for about six or seven minutes, and then boom — I’m gassed. So it’s something I need to work on real bad … I wish I could jump right back into it and be who I was before the injury.”
Much like his former boss Jeff Van Gundy in the 1998/99 NBA season, current Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau may have to figure out major rotational changes to improve the up-and-down Knicks this year, per Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post. Among those adjustments, Vaccaro suggests potentially exploring more run for emerging second-year power forward Obi Toppin and rookie shooting guard Quentin Grimes, and possibly reducing the role of defensive sieve Evan Fournier, whom New York added on a four-year, $78MM contract via a sign-and-trade with the Celtics this past summer.

Knicks Notes: Walker, Barrett, Randle, Fournier

December 4th, 2021 at 6:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

It sounds like Knicks guard Kemba Walker won’t see regular playing time unless he reclaims his starting job, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Walker, who was pulled from the rotation earlier this week, didn’t leave the bench in this afternoon’s loss to the Nuggets, even as New York fell behind by 30 points.

“As I mentioned before when I made that decision, I view Kemba as a starter,” coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. “… I do have respect for him, he’s part of the team. And right now we have a rotation, he’s not in the rotation but he’s working in practice, he’s doing all the things he should be doing.”

Walker, who hasn’t talked to the media since his demotion, has been a disappointment this season, even at the discount price of $18MM over two years. He’s scoring 11.7 points per game, down from 19.3 PPG last season with the Celtics, and his arthritic left knee limits his effectiveness on defense.

Neither Walker nor backcourt partner Evan Fournier has lived up to what the Knicks expected when they pursued them in free agency. Multiple sources tell Bondy that Thibodeau urged the front office to keep Reggie Bullock, who signed with Dallas for $30.5MM over three years.

There’s more from New York:

Thibodeau believes RJ Barrett needs more repetition to fix his three-point shot, Bondy adds. After connecting at 40.1% from beyond the arc last season, Barrett has slumped to 32.1%. “You get rhythm when you work and last year he got going when he started coming in every night to shoot,” Thibodeau said. “So there’s no notion of, ‘OK, I’ll do it sometimes.’ No, you got to do it all the time. When you did it, you shot 40 from 3. So get back in the gym, get back to improving your shot.”
At 11-12, the Knicks are now under .500 for the first time this season, and Julius Randle believes the team has lost the defensive identity that it relied on last year, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. “It’s who we are as a team, how we built this team and this culture is just fighting defensively, the togetherness, just the effort, the hustle plays,” Randle said. “I feel like that’s what the city of New York loves. That’s what the fans love — when they know we’re out there giving it our all. And I think sometimes we’re too lax.’’
Fournier talks about Thibodeau, some of his new teammates and several other subjects in a wide-ranging interview with Steve Serby of The New York Post.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Tatum, Fournier, Randle

December 4th, 2021 at 2:45pm CST by JD Shaw

Following Sunday’s loss against the Nuggets, the Knicks are now 11-12, giving them the 11th-best record in the Eastern Conference and putting them 5.5 games behind first place. After finishing last season fourth in the conference, the team’s sudden mediocrity is puzzling, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post contends.

“We have to understand we have to be more consistent and get guys healthy,” Julius Randle said, clearly not deterred by his team’s underwhelming start to the season. “But we’ll be fine. A great run could put us at the top of the East in two weeks. We just have to have a sense of urgency.”

New York signed Kemba Walker to a two-year, $18MM deal in free agency, but head coach Tom Thibodeau recently pulled him from the rotation. Walker struggled defensively and the starting lineup had noticeable chemistry issues. The team has since started Alec Burks in his place, choosing to keep Derrick Rose in his role off the bench.

Here are some other notes from the Atlantic:

Celtics star Jayson Tatum dismissed the notion that he’s been playing selfish basketball, Jay King of The Athletic writes. A recent ESPN story from Tim Bontemps quoted an anonymous assistant coach who questioned how bad Tatum wants to win. “I laughed,” Tatum said when asked about the topic. “I think when people get upset or you get a reaction out of somebody, it’s probably because they feel like it’s kind of true. But I just laughed because I know it’s not true. I know my teammates, my coaches, anybody I’ve ever been around, selfish is the last thing.”
The Knicks will need energy from Evan Fournier to help turn their season around, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. Fournier, who signed a multi-year contract to join the team in free agency, has started in all 23 games this season. He’s coming off a campaign where he averaged 17.1 points per game, splitting time between Orlando and Boston.
Speaking of Fournier, Peter Botte of the New York Post examines the recent disagreement between him and Randle that was caught on camera. The Knicks teammates engaged in a heated debate before halftime of the club’s loss to Chicago on Thursday. “It was a disagreement over I think the last defensive play about the double [team] and the rebounding,” Fournier said. “It was just frustration. But I think the key was it was communicating.”

Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Claxton, Fournier, Burks

December 2nd, 2021 at 8:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on Toucher and Rich on Boston radio on Thursday morning, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens expressed displeasure with one of the quotes included in Tim Bontemps’ ESPN report on the team last week. As we relayed, an anonymous assistant coach who spoke to Bontemps questioned Jayson Tatum‘s desire to win, suggesting that the forward only wants to win “on his terms.” Stevens vehemently disagreed, calling the comment “a joke.”

“I thought that quote was absolutely ridiculous, to be honest,” Stevens said, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. “I don’t ever react to that stuff and I actually sent a note to one of the people I work with like, ‘This is idiotic.’ Just be around (Tatum) every day. That guy loves to win. He’s sitting there with his feet in the ice bucket after every game that we lose and he looks despondent. This guy’s competitive. I know that for a fact. I’m glad he’s on our team.”

Stevens said that anonymous assistant coach shouldn’t be making that sort of comment without putting his name to it, but acknowledged that wouldn’t happen because it would provide Tatum with bulletin-board material when the Celtics played the assistant’s team.

“Jayson would kill him every time he played him for the rest of his career,” Stevens said. “That’s the way those guys in this league are wired.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Nets center Nicolas Claxton, a restricted free agent in 2022, recently hired new representation, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link), who says Claxton has signed with CAA Sports. Bondy adds that the non-COVID illness which has kept the big man out of action since October 25 is mononucleosis. Claxton appears to be nearing a return though. As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN notes (via Twitter), he’s not listed on the team’s latest injury report for Friday’s game.
Ian O’Connor of The New York Post says the Knicks‘ benching of Kemba Walker should send a message to Evan Fournier, another one of the team’s major free agent additions whose play has been inconsistent since he arrived in New York.
The decision to pull Walker out of the rotation and start Alec Burks is paying early dividends for the Knicks, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Burks has led New York in scoring in his first two games as a starter and the team is playing better defense.

Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Fournier, Durant, Harden

November 20th, 2021 at 10:51am CST by Dana Gauruder

Raptors forward Pascal Siakam erupted for 32 points and eight rebounds against Sacramento on Friday, his sixth game after recovering from shoulder surgery. Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca tweets that Siakam, who bounced back from a four-point game against Utah, is still trying to gain a rhythm.

“Last game I felt like I was running in mud the whole game,” Siakam said. “It’s just waking up every day continuing to push forward knowing it’s going to be tough, but once I get that rhythm and my legs under me I know what I can do, and I have to focus on that.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Evan Fournier, the Knicks’ major sign-and-trade acquisition this summer, hasn’t been playing in fourth quarters lately and it’s been an adjustment for the swingman, Mark Sanchez of the New York Post writes. “I think the situation right now is I don’t know how many minutes I’m going to play, so I have to have the mindset of: If I’m going to play 20 minutes, then just come out the gate with extreme energy,” he said. “Being very alert. Being ultra-aggressive. And trying to have an impact.”
Kevin Durant missed his first game of the season on Friday due to a shoulder ailment. The Nets are trying to figure out how much to play Durant and James Harden during the regular season without wearing them out prior to the postseason, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I think that we definitely are going to look for our spots to protect them,” Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said. “We just have to be very strategic. We’re a new team trying to find itself and trying to form that identity. Those guys are super-competitive, so they want to play. It’s a tricky balance.”
The league’s crackdown on offensive moves in which players move into defender’s bodies to draw fouls has affected Harden. He’s going to the line less and committing more turnovers, Sanchez notes. The Nets star says he’s still getting used to the new parameters. “We’re in a little bit of a funk right now in a sense of just everything,” Harden said.

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