The New York Knicks have been pretty open about shopping French guard and free agency bust Evan Fournier this summer.
Nobody seems happier about this than, well, Evan Fournier. Speaking to French sports newspaper L’Equipe, Fournier vented his frustrations with the Knicks and gave a laundry list of reasons for wanting out. Among them, his relationship with coach Tom Thibodeau is apparently “non-existent.”
More notably, however, Fournier claims another year in New York would mean the end of his career.
“I would be shot,” Fournier claimed. “If I stayed, it would be a disaster basketball-wise for my career.”
Fournier signed a four-year, $76 million deal with the Knicks in 2021 and immediately posted 32 points on Opening Night in a double-OT win over the Celtics. Yet, even as he shot almost 39% from three, Fournier proved a poor fit. He was out of the rotation this season and played in just 20 games.
“I can manage a year without playing,” Fournier added. “Two…that would be terrible.”
It’s hard to tell what’s worse. Evan Fournier’s mistake of a contract, or just how right he is about the entire situation. He’s easily team president Leon Rose’s greatest mistake. It’s not a mark against Fournier, who can still be a strong 2-guard and three-point specialist on another team. He just wasn’t a good fit for the Knicks trying to run it back in 2021-22.
Actually trading him, however, will be tough. He’ll earn $18.9 million next season and will be a free agent again next summer. The Knicks are, essentially, asking a team to believe Fournier that he’ll be full-go after basically sitting out the season.
Rose had better be working the phones nonstop, and with good reason. Every day the Knicks hang onto Evan Fournier, the less they’ll get for him. This simply cannot last into training camp and then the regular season.
And if it does, the Knicks may have no option but to buy him out of his deal.
