New York Knicks shooting guard Evan Fournier knows that his time with the team is coming to an end.

At the very least, he expects it to, recently admitting that he doesn't expect to be back with the Knicks next season. This despite Fournier having two seasons and $37.9 million remaining on his contract.

Consequently, the writing seems on the wall ahead of the 2023 NBA offseason, and the message is that Fournier is the one player the Knicks must trade.

1 player Knicks must trade in 2023 NBA offseason

As Evan Fournier's physical decline has led to him being a defensive liability for the past couple of seasons, many believed that the New York Knicks would trade him last season.

Frankly, had talented wing Cam Reddish been more consistent and disciplined in his brief tenure with New York, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau may have pivoted away from Fournier earlier. Nonetheless, Fournier's experience and 3-point prowess were enough for Thibs to routinely place his trust in the Frenchman.

Consequently, he remained with the Knicks while New York let Reddish — a player that they traded two first-round picks for — seethe. A questionable decision in hindsight.

Reddish isn't as efficient from 3-point range as one would like. However, the Duke product is still a multi-positional weapon with defensive upside, above-average shot-creation and acrobatic finishing. Interestingly enough, his skillset is exactly what the Knicks were missing against the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Hindsight is 20/2o

Evan Fournier averaged a career-low 12.9 points per game in the 2022-23 regular season, shooting career-lows of 33.7 percent from the field and 30.7 percent from 3. He also played a career-low 27 games in the 2022-23 regular season and was out of the rotation by the playoffs.

In his stead, second-year pro Quentin Grimes became the full-time starting shooting guard. Behind him has been veteran Josh Hart, a gritty wing that's playing a major role for the New York Knicks after being acquired him ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline.

From the need for him to be supplanted by younger players with better defense to his salary simply outpacing his production at 30-years-old, Fournier is a player that should have been traded a while ago. Nonetheless, as the old saying goes, hindsight is 20/20.

Potential trade suitors

There are a number of contending teams that could find value in Evan Fournier. After all, 3-point shooting is a premier skill in this era and Fournier has a decade's worth of evidence that the 2022-23 season was simply an anomaly. In fact, a team that has confidence in their medical and training staff might believe they can improve his mobility. allowing him to return to form offensively and defensively.

Among those potential suitors, the Los Angeles Lakers may be the most feasible as a team outside of the Eastern Conference and with a serious need for 3-point threats. The Denver Nuggets, who drafted Fournier with the 20th overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft linger as a potential destination as well.

Though Fournier may not play the level of defense that either team want, Lakers guard Malik Beasley fell out of favor in L.A. because of his streakiness and ineffective defense. Meanwhile, the Nuggets may lose guard Bruce Brown in free agency with the veteran outplaying his $6.8 million price tag for 2023-24 and likely to decline his player option for the season.

In terms of non-contenders, the Orlando Magic are another one of Fournier's former teams that may interested in bringing him back.

Such a move would bolster the Magic's perimeter group, adding a player that can capitalize on the attention 2023 Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero receives. Furthermore, the Magic may be willing to trade injury-prone forward Jonathan Isaac to the Knicks in the deal, a young player with tantalizing defensive potential.