Former Knicks sharpshooter Evan Fournier signs deal to play in Europe

Longtime NBA shooting guard Evan Fournier has found a new home for the upcoming 2024-25 season, but it won’t be with an NBA team.

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Fournier has decided to take his talents to the EuroLeague and has signed a two-year contract worth over $4 million with Greek EuroLeague team Olympiakos. Shams Charania shared the news via Twitter/X.

In July, NBA expert Marc Stein reported that “naturally there will be talk of EuroLeague interest” in Fournier and that “it is expected to generate some interest from the NBA as well.”

After 12 seasons in the NBA, the 31-year-old will take his talents back overseas where he began his professional career. Fournier played key roles on his five NBA teams from 2012 to 2024.

Over his 12-year career, Fournier averaged 13.6 points per game, shot 44.1 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from three-point range, had 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 704 games with the Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons.

Fournier is a former first-round pick in the 2012 NBA draft. The Nuggets selected him 20th overall. He played two seasons in the Mile High City, where he averaged 7.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 114 games.

After a brief stint with the Nuggets, Fournier was traded, along with the draft rights to Devyn Marble, to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Arron Afflalo. He spent the next seven seasons in Central Florida, where he played his best basketball, averaging 16.2 points per game, 2.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists. Fournier was named a top-15 player in development in 2015-16.

Following the 2021 season, Fournier bounced between Boston, New York and the Pistons, where he spent the second half of the 2024 season.

The 31-year-old recently represented his home country, France, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, helping the team to its second consecutive gold medal match against Team USA. He and France won the silver medal, but Fournier struggled throughout the tournament, averaging just under 10 points.

The decision to join the EuroLeague club likely stemmed from Fournier’s diminishing role in the NBA over the years. He feels he can do more at 31, and has openly expressed his frustration. In his last NBA stop, Detroit, he averaged 7.2 points in 18.7 minutes of play, coming off the bench in 29 games.

All this should change now that he is in Europe and his role should be more important, exactly as he wishes.

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