Evan Fournier provided some good and, frankly, some not so good after joining Celtics at the trade deadline.
However, at the right price, it’s hard to argue the pending free agent wouldn’t be a useful piece on Boston’s roster next season.
We now have an idea of what that price might be. Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto recently talked with NBA executives who offered their input on Fournier.
Here’s an excerpt from his column:
“He’s going to look for $15-20 million a year,” an NBA executive estimated when speaking to HoopsHype. “I’m not sure where he gets that from. They’ll have to keep him since they can’t replace him. It’ll be interesting because they have never been willing to pay the tax, so getting around that will be hard for them. If they let him walk, there’s no replacement.”
“Fournier is a tough one,” another executive said. “It depends on the direction for that value. If they want to run it back, they’ll pay him. I can’t see him getting $20 million.”
Fournier, 28, averaged 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in 16 contests with the Celtics. He missed time due to COVID-19, which hampered his ability to perform at a high level down the stretch.
Of course, if Fournier returns to the Celtics, he will do so after negotiating with Brad Stevens, who on Wednesday replaced Danny Ainge as Boston’s president of basketball operations.
