The Evan Fournier Decision
The Orlando Magic’s 2020-21 season has taken quite the turn. Injuries have been very much a constant throughout these last 3 seasons, and unfortunately they are here to stay. With injuries to Jonathan Isaac, Al Farouq Aminu, Chuma Okeke, Markelle Fultz, Michael Carter Williams, James Ennis III, and Evan Fournier, the Magic have been thin to start the season. Jeff Weltman has always been overly cautious when bringing players back from injury, so the return of Okeke and Aminu this season is quite the mystery.
The Magic still must be forward-thinking. They need to look at the roster and understand what retooling needs to happen to best compliment Isaac and Fultz when they return. Looking at the roster, there is not much wiggle room. Most players are either at the start of their new extensions, on rookie contracts, or on minimum veteran deals. The only players who are unrestricted free agents this offseason are Evan Fournier, Khem Birch, and James Ennis III. Clearly, the Front Office is confident that the roster will begin to prove its worth, but that will take sheer injury luck and continued youth development. Nikola Vucevic is on a tear to start the season, and his efficiency is the best of his 10-year Magic career. Weltman should hit the pause button on this season instead of blowing up the team and trading away win-now pieces in Vucevic and Ross.
The mindset of Magic fans and Head Coach Steve Clifford is that Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz can play together in the backcourt. As much of a sour season this is shaping to be for Orlando, at least Cole Anthony will be able to get significant minutes and prove that he should continue to be a starter for the team. This leaves Evan Fournier out of the Magic’s plans and he should be traded at the deadline. He will be difficult to move for equal value because of how much of a necessity he is for Orlando. However, giving him another contract seems unlikely, especially if he is coming off of the bench behind Anthony. The Human Torch has cemented himself as the backup SG anyways. Below is a trade that Orlando should pull the trigger on:
This trade would work for all three teams, and I’ll explain why. Orlando would be sending Evan Fournier and Khem Birch to Utah. Both of these guys have been crucial contributors in Orlando, but it makes sense to move them now. Bamba needs backup minutes at the center position, and until either Vucevic or Birch are moved, he will continue to ride the pine. Birch would be able to give Utah a defensive threat to pair with Favors in the frontcourt with their second unit. Currently, Utah doesn’t have a legitimate backup PF for O’Neale. Birch, also known as “The Big Maple”, can play either PF and C and will be an insurance plan as Utah looks to head back to the playoffs and become serious contenders in the West. Fournier could start off of the ball and give Donovan Mitchell sole ball handling duties, as he would slide to PG.
The Jazz will be able to compensate for the loss of Joe Ingles by bringing in Trevor Ariza to play on the wing behind Bogdanovic. He can be a stretch wing who can still defend in his 16th NBA season. Ty Jerome moves the needle for the Jazz to pull the trigger with a young packup PG/SG on a team-friendly deal. He won’t see much playing time in OKC with SGA, Dort, and Maledon, so he could be a much needed backup PG behind only Shaquille Harrison.
Oklahoma City has been a fire-sale roster after their playoff appearance in the bubble. Here, they would be trading away win-now players in Hill and Ariza, as well as shedding George Hill’s final deal. They would be receiving a second round pick and a former All-Star in Mike Conley. Unfortunately, the move to bring in Conley to be a playmaker alongside Mitchell has not gone as envisioned in Salt Lake City. Conley could come in and be a mentor for the young Thunder guards, much like Chris Paul did last season. Luckily for the Thunder, they will not need to find a trade partner for Conley, and can let him walk in the offseason if they don’t like his fit beside Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, or if they don’t want to give him another contract. The same goes with Georges Niang, but at the very least he could help stretch the floor for the remainder of the season. Elijah Hughes would also be worth a flier for a minimum contract. He’s already 22, but proved for consecutive seasons at Syracuse that he can be a perimeter threat. Standing 6’6, he can potentially be a key rotational piece within a few short years. Along with a Golden State second-round pick, why not pull the trigger?
This would be a great trade for Orlando. Ingles could start the remainder of the season and be a veteran presence for this roster. He can stretch the floor and be a point forward for the bench unit to start next season. He would instantly become a fan favorite as a resemblance of Hedo Turkoglu and a much needed offensive weapon alongside Terrence Ross. The same goes for George Hill – he would be comfortable playing behind Fultz, and can handle the ball while stretching the floor. Both could come in and not lose much on the defensive side, yet receive a significant boost on offense as they average 39.5% from 3 over their careers. Orlando would give Ingles and Hill the rest of the season to mesh with the current roster (or whoever will be able to play amid these injuries). Neither are on long term contracts either, so Orlando would continue to remain flexible while receiving a second round pick for Fournier. The Magic wouldn’t need to bring much additional talent to central Florida this following summer, as the depth chart would look as follows:
PG: M. Fultz/ G. Hill
SG: C. Anthony/ T. Ross
SF: J. Issac/ J. Ingles
PF: A. Gordon/ C. Okeke
C: N. Vucevic/ M. Bamba
The Front Office should not let the deadline pass without a deal. Fournier shouldn’t waste the remaining three months of the season in Orlando only to leave this summer. He can bring value to a team looking to contend, and Gobert could convince the Jazz management to bring in his fellow Frenchman. Orlando would be able to draft a project prospect like Jeff Weltman and John Hammond love to do, and have continuity heading into next season with a (hopefully) healthy roster. The team would be nearly complete moving into next season, and looking to compete in the Eastern Conference.
