Report: Evan Fournier will join Knicks on $78 million contract

The Boston Celtics were indeed not willing to meet the increased price on free agent Evan Fournier.

But the New York Knicks certainly were, and have done so by way of a four-year deal worth up to $78 million contract, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal will come with a team option for the fourth year.

Acquired from the Magic in exchange for Jeff Teague and two second-round picks at the 2021 trade deadline, the 6-foot-7 Fournier averaged 13.0 points, 3.1 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game in his 16-game post-deadline run with Boston, and shot a career-best 46.3 percent from three-point range while with the Celtics.

Fournier arrived to Boston in the midst of a career-high 19.7 points per night with the Magic, and his 2020-21 splits between Boston and Orlando gave him a 17.1 points per night average, good for the fourth-best single-season mark of his career.

A solid shooting option for the Celtics, the writing of a split between the Green and the French scorer was seemingly on the wall of late, as it repeatedly reported that the sides were not on the same page in terms of Fournier's financial demands.

But with the C's opting to sit out the opening few hours of NBA free agency, perhaps it's time to both accept and prepare for the Celtics staying the course and saving their money for the 2022 offseason.

Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.