The Celtics Must Look To Bring Back Evan Fournier In Free Agency
Evan Fournier was the big move the Celtics made ahead of the NBA trade deadline this year. He was acquired from the Orlando Magic and was a good fit for Boston. However, he is set to hit the open free agency market and quite a few teams could take a look at signing him.
During the 16 games Fournier played with the Celtics this year, he averaged 13 points per game to go along with 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He shot 44.8 percent from the floor and knocked down 46.3 percent of his three-point attempts.
Boston has to make sure they keep elite three-point shooting around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. It would not be reasonable to expect Fournier to knock down 46 percent of his three-point attempts for an entire season, but he is dangerous from beyond the arc. Keeping him in town is vital to the Celtics’ chances of competing next year.
At 28 years of age, Fournier has become one of the more underrated shooting guards in the NBA. Before his trade to the Celtics, he was a primary focal point of the Magic’s offense. He averaged 19.7 points per game for them, shooting 46.1 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from deep.
There is no question that Fournier’s offense will remain consistent. Due to his ability to score and shoot the ball, the Celtics are going to have competition to sign him. But, they need to do everything they can to get something done.
Acquiring Al Horford will be a major boost for the Boston front-court. That was their main weakness this season. Losing Fournier would open up another hole in a back-court that is already going to be without Kemba Walker.
Marcus Smart and Evan Fournier could very well be the Celtics’ starting back-court if they can bring him back. Smart is a defensive expert, but is not a great scorer. Fournier would be the No. 3 scorer that takes pressure off of Tatum and Brown.
Expect to see the Celtics work to re-sign Fournier this offseason when free agency opens up. He may not be a superstar, but he is the kind of player that every contender needs to make a deep run in the playoffs.
