The Boston Celtics have traded two second-round picks to the Orlando Magic in exchange for point guard Evan Fournier. The team planned to acquire a key player from Orlando in the midst of the Magic’s sell-off at the deadline, and this was rumored prior to deadline day. Boston just didn’t get the Magic player they were expecting to get. The Celtics missed out on Aaron Gordon, who was traded to Denver instead of Boston.
Fournier is a Nice Consolation Prize for Boston
I understand that Celtics fans really wanted Gordon. He has great upside at his young age and would’ve immediately filled several front-court holes for Boston on both ends of the floor. Tristan Thompson just isn’t cutting it. But Fournier is averaging just under 20 points per game this season and is shooting 38.8 percent from three-point land. Teams have ended up with far worse consolation prizes at the deadline.
While he might not have Gordon’s upside since he’s already 28-years-old, Fournier is a solid rotation piece for a Celtics team that ranks in the middle of the pack in three-pointers made per game. While Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kemba Walker carry most of the offensive load for Boston every night, Fournier will be able to come off the bench and pick up the slack when the team’s core players are having an off night. He’s more than capable of creating his own shot off the dribble and has proven he can spot up and knock down threes at a high percentage. The French baller is a nice addition to a Boston team that has had looming doubts regarding its potential to come out of the East this year.
Magic’s Sell-off was a Circus Show
The Magic’s sell-off at the deadline was an absolute frenzy. Orlando traded All-Star center Nikola Vucevic to Chicago before sending Fournier to Boston, and eventually Gordon to the Nuggets. It would appear that the Magic were clearing house in efforts to stockpile draft capital ahead of the 3 pm deadline. And boy, did they clear some house.
Sadly, Terrance Ross is still stuck in the Magic’s house. And it appears to be burning to the ground as we get closer to the 3 pm trade deadline. Poor guy. We feel for you here at Belly Up, brother. If it makes you feel any better, you are now a franchise player for the first time in your career. Soak it all in. Gotta focus on the positives, right?
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