What would be here at Hardwood Houdini if we didn’t think long-term after acquiring an expiring contract. When the Boston Celtics landed Evan Fournier for two second-round picks during yesterday’s trade deadline, they created a similar situation to the one they had just gotten themselves out of.
The 2019-20 season was all about Gordon Hayward’s player option for the current year. He ended up declining that option and finding a new home in free agency, leaving Danny Ainge with little else besides a pretty sizeable traded player exception.
Fans were dreaming big about the possibilities that TPE could bring to the table. Between potential starters/borderline stars like Victor Oladipo and Aaron Gordon on the block, there were plenty of headline names the Cs were in play for.
They ended up landing Fournier, though, in a string of fairly minor moves in the grand scheme of the deadline.
Fournier brings the potential of being an offensive-minded starter or a spark-plug sixth man. He also brings the potential of being flipped in the summer during free agency in a sign-and-trade much in the vein of Hayward’s Hornets union last November.
Brian Robb, masslive’s Boston Celtics beat reporter, shared that spicy nugget on Twitter following the deal:
Other element with Evan Fournier addition: If Celtics don't re-sign him this offseason, they will have the ability to create...you guessed it...another sizable TPE in a sign-and-trade since they get his Bird Rights as part of the deal.
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) March 25, 2021
Today, Hardwood Houdini takes a look at two teams that can potentially land Fournier as a free agent in a sign-and-trade:
Boston Celtics’ Evan Fournier sign-and-trade partner #1: Indiana Pacers
Any regular reader of Hardwood Houdini should have known what we were up to the minute the Indiana Pacers popped across the screen. The Boston Celtics may have acquired Mo Wagner and Luke Kornet yesterday, and they may also still have Tristan Thompson and Robert Williams…but they still would immediately improve if Myles Turner was manning the middle.
The Cs now have two bigs that specialize in the finesse game and with their shooting, while also sporting two bigs known for their interior presence and rebounding. None of the four combine the traits quite like the former Texas Longhorn Turner.
Indiana’s interest in Fournier could make sense, considering his ability to play off the ball. The Pacers have Malcolm Brogdon and Aaron Holiday set to carry a hefty facilitating role in the coming years.
What could also make sense is replacing T.J. Warren, who will be in a contract year and would be better off on a team with more immediate plans to contend. Jeremy Lamb is also an expiring contract in 2021-22 who could be seen as a reserve scorer for a top-tier squad.
Fournier figures to command an annual salary in the ballpark of Turner’s $17.5 million cap figure, so a direct swap would be fairly easy to pull off…unless of course, Indiana’s asking price for additional compensation doesn’t cause Danny Ainge to hang up the phone.
Boston Celtics’ Evan Fournier sign-and-trade partner #2: Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks could be in a similar situation to the Pacers this upcoming offseason if they don’t survive the second half of this once-in-a-lifetime wild ride of an NBA season. So far, they have underwhelmed following a perilously slow start that may ultimately threaten their chances of snagging one of the final eight playoff spots.
After taking the Los Angeles Clippers to six games in the quarterfinals of the Western Conference playoffs last year, it seemed as though another step forward for Luka Doncic and the Mavericks was imminent.
Instead, the team has remained in a battle for one of the play-in tournament slots. To their credit, they do own the highest seed of the prospective postseason play-in and sit just two games back of the #6 seeded Portland Trailblazers.
In the same vein, they are only 4.5 games ahead of the #11 seed and missing the postseason altogether.
Just as Indiana is a long-shot to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the year, Dallas would need a minor miracle to end up being content with their current lineup.
Fournier could potentially replace impending free agent Tim Hardaway Jr. in Dallas, where his offensive firepower could help take the heat off of Doncic. In return, the Cs could explore returning capable frontcourt players like Dorian Finney-Smith and Maxi Kleber to Beantown.