Evan Fournier Speaks on Knicks Future: 'Not in My Hands'
Evan Fournier is about to shift his focus back to the NBA after France was eliminated in the FIBA World Cup.
Fournier and France have one more consolation game after crushing Iran 82-55 on Thursday, but their FIBA championship journey has ended a bit prematurely after being ranked as one of the top five teams in the world and earning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Fournier probably wishes he wouldn't have to return home so soon, especially considering his foggy disposition with the New York Knicks at the moment. The 30-year-old shooting has publicly expressed his desire for a trade after being held out of the rotation for the second half of the season, but he gave a very frank answer when asked about his future again.
"As you know it's not in my hands," Fournier told Eurohoops.net's Antonis Stroggylakis. "If the Knicks want to keep me, I'll have to stay, if they want to trade me I'll have to go."
Fournier and coach Tom Thibodeau have a troubled relationship, one that ended in him being benched last year. Prior to the World Cup, Fournier ripped Thibodeau and Knicks management in his native France, referring to last season as "uncool times" after he was almost-entirely exiled from the team's nine-man rotation.
A trade likely would have happened by now if it weren't for Fournier's current contract situation. He's set to make nearly $19 million this upcoming season, a lot of money for someone who doesn't play much, if at all. New York would likely have to attach draft picks with Fournier in order to land a deal. There's also a chance the team could keep Fournier in order to match salaries for a star player, but there's no timetable for that as well. It appears that Fournier has accepted his fate and that his trade request may take a little longer before it is processed.
After averaging 21.7 points over the preliminary play trio, Fournier played only 11 minutes in the consolation victory over Iran in Jakarta on Thursday, scoring two on 1-of-4 from the field. France's disappointing World Cup trek ends on Saturday with one more classification game against Ivory Coast (5:45 a.m. ET, ESPN+).
