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Magic wing Evan Fournier is on his way to the Boston Celtics in a trade for two second-round picks.
Adrian Wojnarowski, as ever, broke the news. Fournier follows Nikola Vucevic out of Orlando, who are embarking on a rebuild.
On a $17 million expiring contract, Boston can absorb Fournier into their traded player exception. Giving up just two seconds for Fournier has to be seen as a major win for Danny Ainge. Boston has no shortage of picks, and even with free agency coming up, Fournier is a great addition.
The Celtics have needed depth. Aside from the struggles of Kemba Walker, their options behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are insufficient. Fournier gives Brad Stevens line-up flexibility. He brings shooting, a bit of playmaking, and passable defense.
Celtics win Fournier trade
Boston can attempt to extend or re-sign Fournier. This is a marked upgrade to their roster without flipping first-round picks, Marcus Smart or any of their young talent. It might not be as exciting as landing Aaron Gordon (which could yet happen), but this is an unquestionably positive move.
For Orlando, it’s trickier to digest. Adding two more picks is fine. Fournier was likely to walk for nothing, so getting any return is solid, but some Magic fans will be wondering why they couldn’t land a protected first in this trade. After giving up Vucevic, a Fournier trade was guaranteed. Instinctively, though, this feels like a low price for a player of Fournier’s skillset.
Perhaps the market for Fournier was small. His $17 million contract is tricky for a lot of contenders to match without giving up long-term money or a key rotation piece. Boston’s TPE made them an ideal landing spot, and maybe that’s how this worked out. The Magic didn’t have much negotiating to do when it was apparent Fournier could walk for nothing.
Cs fans will be hoping for more from Ainge and understandably so. This doesn’t make them contenders, but there’s no question this is a good value deal.
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