This season, veteran Knicks shooting guard Evan Fournier was demoted from a starting role with New York to riding pine down the season’s home stretch and through the playoffs. He was out of the team’s rotation by November.
After the Knicks were officially eliminated from the postseason last night against the Heat, Fournier revealed that he doesn’t expect to be brought back next year, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.
“This officially is the end, but my season was over a long time ago,” Fournier said. “It took me a good month to understand that. At first, I was like, just be patient in seeing how the team developed. Obviously, there are gonna be changes and I’m gonna get traded.”
“You know I’m not gonna be back,” Fournier continued. “There’s no way they’re gonna keep me. I would be very surprised if they do. So, we’ll see. It’s obviously not in my hands though.”
“I mean, wouldn’t you guys be surprised [if I came back?],” Fournier added. “Eleven years in, big contract, they’re obviously trying to develop the young guys. I didn’t play this year, so why would you bring me back?”
Fournier is currently owed $18.9M for 2023-24. The Knicks have a $19M team option on the swingman for the 2024-25 season that Bondy does not anticipate the club will pick up, effectively making him an expiring contract next year. His salary, along with other assets, could be included as part of a trade package for a star player.
In 80 games as a starter in 2021-22, Fournier averaged 14.1 PPG on .417/.389/.708 shooting splits. Across just 27 games this season, he averaged a more pedestrian 6.1 PPG while shooting .337/.307/.857 from the floor.
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