After hearing about his trade to the Boston Celtics, Evan Fournier knew exactly who to call.
Fournier caught up with ex-Celtic and fellow France native Vincent Poirier. The two played together on the French National Team, so the former Orlando Magic forward figured he'd ask his FIBA World Cup teammate about what it's like to play in Boston.
“That’s the first thing I did, yes,” Fournier told reporters before Monday's C's-Pelicans game. “But more so than basketball it was about the city, the fans, the restaurants, etc. So, he only had great things to say.”
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The Magic traded Fournier for two second-round picks and point guard Jeff Teague, who was waived and joined the Milwaukee Bucks shortly thereafter. Fournier admits he was surprised when he heard the news that his tenure in Orlando was over, but he's excited to be a Celtic.
“Once I heard about the trade I was obviously really excited,” he said. “It’s a bit of a shock because you never know when it’s going to happen or not, obviously there were rumors, but when you spend seven years in one place, you know, it’s a little bit shocking at first. But once it settles in you can reflect on your situation and, like I said, it’s a great opportunity for me.”
Fournier has averaged 19.7 points and 3.7 assists through 26 games this season. The 28-year-old is expected to be a reliable scoring option to complement C's stars Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kemba Walker.
Fournier is making his C's debut vs. the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night at TD Garden.