Evan Fournier has no interest in returning to the New York Knicks.
The shooting guard blasted his situation in New York in an interview with Yann Ohnona of L’Equipe, saying he is determined to be traded before the start of next season.
“I would be shot. I’m going to be traded, it’s not possible otherwise,” Fournier said of his career if he stayed in New York. “Or I’d be stuck, and so would they. They have several players with big contracts coming in. Unless they want to pay a crazy luxury tax… If I stayed, it would be a disaster basketball-wise for my career. I can manage a year without playing. Two… that would be terrible.”
Fournier appeared in just 27 games last season, averaging 6.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 33.7 percent from the floor. He had averaged in double figures each of the previous eight seasons and was considered a reliable floor spacer and secondary ball-handler before falling out of Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.
“You want to spit on everyone. You have hatred. Derrick Rose and I looked at each other and said to each other: ‘What the hell are we doing here?’ During the 5-on-5 practice, we were on the side like some prospects. Uncool times. And when I realized that wouldn’t change, I took things more slowly,” Fournier said. “I focused on myself and didn’t let the rest get to me anymore. I did three cardio sessions, two weight training sessions per week, a lot of travel work, [analyzing] game situations with an assistant coach Daniel Brady.”
Fournier will make $18.9 million next season in the third year of a four-year, $73 million contract. The Knicks hold a team option at $19 million for the 2024-25 season, which they will almost certainly decline if Fournier remains on the roster.
Fournier’s shooting struggles last season essentially made him unplayable for Thibodeau, who already has little patience for below-average defenders. The battle over playing time ruined the connection between Fournier and Thibodeau, which the veteran guard described as being nonexistent.
“I have nothing to say because I have none,” Fournier said of the relationship. “When he took me out of the five, he just told me he was going to try something else. Then at the first match of a road trip, he announced to me that I was leaving the rotation, and ciao.”
The Knicks are hard-capped after signing Donte DiVincenzo to a contract using their non-taxpayer midlevel exception, a move that put another player in the rotation ahead of Fournier. It’s unlikely New York would ask for much in a trade but could keep Fournier around for salary-matching purposes as part of a larger deal.
The Knicks are currently $4.7 million under the luxury tax with 14 players on their roster, so they have time to wait. That said, they almost certainly would love to move Fournier’s salary slot and shift it over to a player who will actually be part of the rotation.
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