After the initial hysteria of watching the Orlando Magic signal a real direction change in moving Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls, fellow “Euro Bro” Evan Fournier was quickly out the door after him. The Frenchman getting moved to the Boston Celtics in exchange for a pair of second-round draft picks.
While plenty of fans have been critical of Fournier in the past, they didn’t even have time to properly process what was going on. Their jaws still firmly on the floor after the Vucevic news broke. But with both gone, the organization truly has brought to an end an era of basketball with plenty of downs, and some ups as well.
NBA trade grades: Evan Fournier headed to the Celtics for some picks.
Orlando gets:
- A pair of second-round draft picks
Boston gets:
- Evan Fournier
Put in the context of the Vucevic deal happening a short time beforehand, the Magic were always going to lean hard into a new direction and rebuild of sorts by getting rid of their clear best player. In a vacuum though, this particular deal may seem a little more puzzling for Fournier, even if he is in the final months of his current deal.
For the Celtics, their season has not gone to plan, and they have clearly slipped in the pecking order in the Eastern Conference. Adding Fournier gives them an opportunity to retool for a postseason run, with one of the more underrated, if not frustrating at times to watch, creators in the league.