With the Orlando Magic staring at a few more rebuilding years, Evan Fournier makes sense as a trade candidate and several teams could be intrigued.
Evan Fournier is the Orlando Magic’s only player currently signed through the 2021 season. He has a $17-million player option for that final year.
At this point, it seems fairly likely that will be picked up unless the salary cap rises more than anticipated or Fournier’s leaguewide stock increases significantly. Either way it is very far into the future.
But the Magic should view 2020 as an opportunity.
With no one else signed through that season, they could realistically have as much cap room as they want to add to the young core. And with two seasons for their upcoming rookie to develop plus three years of Jonathan Isaac, it might fit perfectly on the Magic’s timeline.
And unlike Bismack Biyombo and arguably Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier’s skill set carries real value in today’s NBA, even relative to his unwieldy contract. His timeline just does not quite fit with the Magic’s timeline. Orlando is a team building for the future, seeking cap flexibility and seeking a culture change.
Creating off the bounce and shooting threes off movement, off the catch and off the dribble while defending with some degree of competency is a package that some NBA teams may consider sacrificing minor assets for. A -0.54 defensive Regularized Adjusted Plus-Minus is not exactly inspiring, but it is in the realm of competency.
A team might be willing to give something up for that. Although it might not offer much surplus value at $17 million annually.
But even if they do not, the flexibility added by moving Fournier for either a shorter deal or a cheaper one (ideally both) is a reward in itself.
Iit is important to set reasonable expectations for what he could net in a trade. He is probably not going to return a good first round pick or an exciting young player.
Looking at recently dealt players like Jordan Clarkson, Allen Crabbe and Rodney Hood might give us an idea of what Evan Fournier’s value would be.
They are all roughly the same age, all valued for offense, handling and shooting to varying degrees. Fournier is the best player of the group but also on the longest and most expensive contract on a yearly basis aside from Crabbe’s deal.
Jordan Clarkson was paired with Larry Nance Jr. for a late first round pick and the expiring contracts of Isaiah Thomas and Channing Frye. The Utah Jazz essentially got only a struggling Jae Crowder in return for Rodney Hood. Derrick Rose was included in the deal but immediately bought out. Allen Crabbe returned nothing, as the Portland Trail Blazers waived and stretched Andrew Nicholson.
For a realistic deal framework, getting a second round pick or late first round pick in addition to a fringier prospect or role player would be a satisfactory outcome. The Magic would bolster their asset stockpile, freeing up money and getting an additional shot at a possible long-term piece.
Of course, that would require the trade partner have cap space into which they can take Fournier’s money. That slims down the market quite a bit.
The Jazz make sense as a destination. They have space, a pronounced need for dribble creation, an affinity for international talent and a friend of Fournier’s already on the roster in Rudy Gobert.
They have a strong recent draft history and no extra first rounders. Utah might be less inclined to part with their picks. But the Jazz do have intriguing young and/or cheap talent on the roster in Dante Exum — a restricted free agent who would have to be part of a sign-and-trade — Royce O’Neale, Tony Bradley, Alec Burks and Raul Neto.
You can be forgiven if none of those names sound particularly exciting. But the lack of surplus value on Fournier’s deal will make it difficult to coax opposing general managers into parting with core assets. Again, adding flexibility at no cost would be the primary objective of the trade. Any value coming on top of that just a bonus.
The Washington Wizards are a team constantly capped out, but constantly in search of quallity depth. Marcin Gortat has been an important contributor to their playoff runs, but if he has worn out his welcome, parting ways with him before aging takes away the last vestiges of his productivity might interest Washington. He has also expressed a desire to retire in Orlando. And his deal is two years shorter than Fournier’s and around $5 million cheaper annually.
The Wizards have a bit less in the way of assets. They traded away their second round picks in 2019, 2020 and 2021. As a franchise they are not in a position to be giving up their firsts. They also do not have any eminently expendable young players.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks could all use some shooting and general offensive depth as well. Each team (assuming LeBron James stays put this offseason) is trying to win now. They either have cap space or matching salaries and would potentially be inclined to sacrifice a minor asset for someone with Fournier’s skill package.
The 76ers have cap space and a glut of second round picks. The Bucks have some moderately bad salaries in John Henson and Matthew Dellavedova ($11 million and $9 million a year respectively). And the Cavaliers have George Hill. The latter two would be able to offer salary relief but probably not much else. The 76ers have extra picks and fringe prospects, but not as much in the way of matching salary.
Outside of those teams, it is a little tougher to find intuitive trade partners. There are few teams that have a clear hole Fournier can help fill, the mechanisms to make a sensible deal work and the willingness to commit salary or give up something of value.
It is just not a robust market. Nikola Vucevic’s market may be even thinner. Expecting either player to return a good first round pick, exciting prospect or starting-level player may not be realistic. It should not color your expectations for what one of those deals should look like.
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The Magic should be striving to add long-term flexibility and marginal assets wherever they can. A Fournier trade is an excellent way to do both, but expecting much more is misguided.