Evan Fournier’s name has been out on the every-changing trade rumor circuit with the trade deadline just a day away, but the Knicks’ big offseason signing isn’t thinking about potentially suiting up for a fifth team in his 10-year career.
“To be honest, the very first time I heard my name in trade rumors was my second year in Orlando,” Fournier said after Tuesday night’s loss to the Nuggets. “At first, it’s a weird feeling to see your name pop up and your friends are calling you…the truth is, if nothing happens, it doesn’t matter. We have a job to do and games to win.
“Year ten, you just don’t worry about that anymore.”
Plenty of Fournier’s teammates have also been named in trade rumors, including Alec Burks, Kemba Walker, and Julius Randle. New York looks like a team in need of a changing after dropping its fourth in a row on Tuesday, but Fournier hopes the deadline comes and goes with the Knicks’ current roster still intact.
“I truly do,” Fournier said when asked if this Knicks team is capable of a turnaround. “I’ve only been here for a few months…but when I say something, I mean it. I’m not here bulls***ing or just saying something just to say it. I really believe we have the right pieces. We have talent, we have toughness, we have everything.”
New York’s record suggests otherwise, and while Fournier has picked it up after a brutal shooting stretch earlier in the season, and Randle has come alive on this road trip, the losses are still piling up, and the deficit in the Eastern Conference is still growing. But Fournier is offering one last plea before the deadline arrives on Thursday: this group can bring it together.
“We’re not far from playing better and getting wins…stuff happens fast in the NBA,” Fournier said. “When you look at the Cavs this year, how they’re playing. They’re talented, but they’re not overly loaded…we just have to find ourselves right now.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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