Free agent shooting guard Evan Fournier is reportedly expected to draw interest in NBA free agency this offseason after the Detroit Pistons declined his $19 million team option for the 2024-25 season, per NBA insider Marc Stein.
“There will naturally be talk of EuroLeague interest in Evan Fournier after Detroit declined to pick up the Frenchman’s $19 million team option for next season, but league sources say Fournier prefers to try to continue his NBA career,” Stein wrote. “He’s only 31 and expected to generate some NBA interest.”
Fournier, who was traded to the Pistons from the New York Knicks at last season’s trade deadline, averaged 6.9 points per game last year.
Fournier has taken on a lesser role in recent years, but he was a productive starter just a few seasons ago. His best years came with the Orlando Magic from 2014 to 2021, when he hovered between 15 and 20 points per game.
His last season as a starter came in 2021-22 in his first season with the Knicks, but he came off the bench the following year and played just 17 minutes per game. He only played three games for New York last season before being traded to Detroit.
While Fournier hasn’t been much of a contributor over the past two seasons, he could likely still be a valuable scorer off the bench for a number of teams as a career 37.4 percent three-point shooter.
He’s also still just 31 years old and has plenty left in the tank. He didn’t fit into Tom Thibodeau’s rotation in New York and Detroit didn’t feel the need to keep him around, but he’ll likely find his way onto a roster before the season begins.