Former Knicks Guard Remains Top NBA Free Agent

The former New York Knicks guard was traded during the season and is now looking for a new home.

Oct 18, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Evan Fournier (13) controls the ball against Washington Wizards guard Ryan Rollins (9) and forward Taj Gibson (67) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Former New York Knicks guard Evan Fournier is playing with Team France at the Paris Olympics, but he's unsure what his future will look like for the upcoming season.

Fournier finished last season with the Detroit Pistons after a trade just before February's deadline, but he was on an expiring contract with no future beyond the 2023-24 campaign.

Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey named Fournier as one of the four best free agents still on the open market.

"Thanks to a simple coaching decision from the New York Knicks' Tom Thibodeau, Fournier played only 27 games in 2022-23 and just three more for that organization in 2023-24 (before he was traded to the Detroit Pistons, where he made 29 more appearances)," Bailey writes. "Thibodeau clearly didn't think Fournier made sense in his team's rotation, but that doesn't mean his days of being a helpful NBA player are over. Just one year before his minutes were slashed, Fournier started 80 games for the Knicks, averaged 14.1 points and shot 38.9 percent from three. For his career, he's a 37.4 percent three-point shooter. Outside shooting alone can be enough to keep a player in the league, and Fournier has hit enough threes in the NBA to warrant another contract."

Fournier's tenure with the Knicks is a massive factor behind why he hasn't been signed yet, but that doesn't mean he couldn't or shouldn't have at least a minimum contract. There are a lot of teams in the NBA with an open roster spot that could benefit from a player like Fournier.

Perhaps the San Antonio Spurs, who employ his national teammate Victor Wembanyama, could be a team that could sign him soon. A team like the Phoenix Suns looking for value contracts could make a move for Fournier.

Fournier should be able to find an NBA home shortly after the Olympics are over in a week or so.

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