Evan Fournier on Knicks-Pistons Trade: 'I'm Really Excited' to Be Out of New York

Evan Fournier had been itching to be traded away from the New York Knicks for some time, and finally got his wish ahead of this season's NBA trade deadline after he was acquired by the Detroit Pistons in the deal that sent Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks to the Big Apple.

Suffice to say, Fournier was grateful for the change in scenery.

"I'm really excited to finally be out of New York, so looking forward to a new opportunity," he told reporters on Monday.

Fournier told a French radio station back in September that he just wanted the chance to play after falling out of Tom Thibodeau's rotation last season (h/t Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News):

"I'm still in New York at the moment. I want to leave. But beyond leaving, I want to have the opportunity to get some playing time back. That's all. That's mostly it. Because in New York, I feel extremely good. I love living there, I love the franchise, I love playing at Madison [Square Garden], I love the guys on the team. So I just want to play, that's all. It's true that finding another club, changing franchises, if that's what you have to do to play again, that's what I would like to do."

Even earlier, back in May, he told reporters that there was "no way" the Knicks would bring him back for the 2023-24 season.

Except they did, and he again was relegated to the back of the rotation, appearing in just three games overall for the Knicks this season.

"I don't have the opportunity to play and even worse, I feel like I'm being held hostage," Fournier noted in September, a feeling that likely didn't change until he was dealt. "I hope this situation will resolve itself and I especially hope that the Knicks will give me a chance."

Thibodeau's response to Fournier's September comments made it obvious that the veteran Frenchman was likely out of the head coach's plans for good.

"I didn't come into (last) season thinking we were going to do the things that we did. We did it because we didn't have success one way," he told reporters. "So, we adjusted and then the next group that went in, it's hard to argue with (a) 37-22 (record) with a plus-5 net rating. So, it is what it is."

It's also hard to argue with this season's 33-20 mark. The Knicks have been busy this season, landing OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and guard Malachi Flynn in a December trade that sent RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a 2024 second-round pick back to the Toronto Raptors.

The Knicks stayed busy last week, bringing aboard Bogdanović and Burks. That left them with a very strong potential postseason rotation of Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Mitchell Robinson, Anunoby, Bogdanović, Burks, Josh Hart, Achiuwa and Isaiah Hartenstein.

That's a deep and talented group. Fournier deserved a change in scenery, and it remains to be seen if he'll get an additional one on the buyout market or if the Pistons will keep him as a veteran presence to help guide the young core for the remainder of the season.

But at least he's free from the Knicks.