Former Knicks Guard Turned Down Offer From Rival

Evan Fournier is now in Europe, but the former New York Knicks guard had an NBA offer.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 5, 2024

Aug 8, 2024; Paris, France; France shooting guard Evan Fournier (10) /celebrates after the game against Germany in a men's basketball semifinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

In this story:

New York Knicks

Former New York Knicks guard Evan Fournier made his exit from the NBA earlier this week, signing with Olympiacos B.C. in Greece.

However, before Fournier made his return to his native Europe, he reportedly had an offer from another Eastern Conference rival.

According to L'Equipe reporter Maxime Aubin, Fournier had a two-year deal on the table from the Washington Wizards. However, Fournier turned them down, citing that he didn't want to be "in a mentoring role" for a "losing team."

Last year, Fournier was with the Knicks at the beginning of the year. However, he was on the outside looking in of coach Tom Thibodeau's rotation. Days before the trade deadline, Fournier was sent to the Detroit Pistons in a deal that brought Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks to the Knicks.

Fournier played in 29 games for the Pistons in the home stretch of the season, but Detroit had the league's worst record with just 14 wins on the year.

In the Paris Olympics, Fournier was a key contributor for France as they captured a silver medal in the tournament. The showcase proved that Fournier could still compete at a very high level, even if it wasn't in the NBA.

As he goes to Olympiacos, Fournier will have a chance to be part of a competitive group of players that includes several NBA alumni, but none of whom have had a career as successful as the former Knick.

A return to the NBA isn't totally out of the cards for Fournier, but it's clear that he is seeking and chasing happiness at this point in his basketball journey, and based on his words, he likely won't find that again stateside.

Fournier's potential debut for Olympiacos could come against Turkish club Fenerbahce in EuroLeague action on Friday, Oct. 4.

Make sure you bookmark New York Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published Sep 5, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.