Charlotte Hornets Receive: F Evan Fournier, C Nerlens Noel
New York Knicks Receive: F Gordon Hayward
If the Charlotte Hornets are effectively swapping Hayward for Noel, this deal presents a simpler path to that outcome.
The New York Knicks should be amendable to it. Hayward may be past his prime, but he’s still a more productive player than Evan Fournier. Losing Noel stings, but rim running / rim-protecting big men of his ilk are generally the most replaceable players in the NBA. They can upgrade their offense with this deal while searching for a replacement for Noel elsewhere.
Besides, the Charlotte Hornets need Noel more. It’s hard to conclude whether they’d see a similar need for Fournier. They may view him as redundant with Terry Rozier. He’s still worth acquiring: they could shop either one of the two off-guards in a separate transaction.
When Knicks fans envision their team finding a second star to pair with Randle, they may dream bigger than Gordon Hayward. That’s entirely fair. However, he is a quality offensive player they could acquire without giving up their entire cache of draft picks.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 1 Massive Blockbuster Trade For New York Knicks To Pursue
Depending on how next season goes, they may need those picks. Desperately.
