Evan Fournier will lead France against Italy in the Tokyo Olympics quarterfinals in less than eight hours.
So, he hoped to delay a decision in NBA free agency.
But when the Knicks – who are also re-signing Derrick Rose – came calling…
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Free agent Evan Fournier has agreed to a four-year deal that could be worth as much as $78M with the New York Knicks, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 3, 2021
Deal includes a team option on the fourth year, per source.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 3, 2021
Free agent G Derrick Rose has agreed to a three-year, $43M deal to return to the New York Knicks, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 3, 2021
The Knicks were good last season. Derrick Rose was a key contributor. So were Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks, whom New York is also re-signing.
A wing who can shoot and has on-ball skills, Fournier is a nice and well-fitting addition.
But this is a lot of money on multi-year deals for veterans with minimal untapped upside. The Knicks are using much of their flexibility to build a team that looks like it’ll top out as solid – which could complicate landing a star.
Which might be fine. After so many lean years, New York could be content with a solid team. The Knicks have sunk much lower when chasing – and missing on – stars.
The Celtics saw the writing on the wall with Fournier, trading for Josh Richardson as a replacement in the wing rotation.
