Former Knicks Sharpshooter Evan Fournier Inks Deal To Play in Europe

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

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

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After 12 seasons, Evan Fournier is exiting the NBA and signing a two-year, $4 million-plus deal with Euroleague club Olympiacos, per sources. Fournier averaged nearly 10 points in France’s Silver Medal run at the Paris Olympics. pic.twitter.com/ErFKwEJl0W

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 2, 2024

In July, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that “there will naturally be the talk of EuroLeague interest” in Fournier and that it was “expected to generate some NBA interest” 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 has played critical roles on his five NBA teams from 2012 to 2024.

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

Fournier is a former first-round pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. The Nuggets selected him with the No. 20 overall pick. 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.

Following his 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 some of his best basketball averaging 16.2 points per game, 2.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists. Fournier finished in the top 15 of Most Improved Player voting during the 2015-16 season.

After the 2021 season, Fournier bounced around from Boston, New York, and the Pistons, where he spent the second half of the season in 2024.

More recently, the 31-year-old represented his home country of France during the 2024 Paris Olympics and helped lead that team to its second straight gold medal game appearance against Team USA. He and France captured the silver medal, but Fournier put up a valiant effort all tournament long, averaging just under 10 points.

The decision to join a EuroLeague club likely came from Fournier’s diminishing role in the NBA over the years. He believes that he can do more at the age of 31 and has openly voiced his frustration. At his latest NBA stop, Detroit, he averaged 7.2 points in 18.7 minutes of action while coming off the bench across 29 games.

That should all change now that he’s in Europe, and his role should be more significant, just how he wants it to be.

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