Knicks' Evan Fournier earns even more respect with his positive attitude
Evan Fournier of the Knicks looks on against the 76ers at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 5. Credit: Jim McIsaac
CHARLESTON, S.C. — As the Knicks worked through training camp with their nine-man rotation virtually set in stone, there were distinct groups.
The veterans, assured of their roles and refining their games for the season ahead.
The young players, desperately hoping to catch the eyes of the coaching staff and earn a spot on the roster.
And then there was Evan Fournier.
Fournier is stuck in a contractual limbo. A year removed from a season in which he set a franchise record for made three-point field goals, he is an accomplished veteran who has been buried on the bench.
He endured it last season but was certain he would be gone this summer, resurrecting his career for a new team.
“I mean, I think like everybody else, I’m a little bit surprised, honestly,” Fournier said after the Knicks' final practice at The Citadel. “It is what it is. I’m under contract. I have a job to do and I’m a Knick as long as I’m a Knick. That aspect I can’t control. I just try to control what I can. I know it sounds cliche, but that’s the truth.”
He's still under contract with an expiring $18 million deal this season, and a kind gesture by the Knicks of releasing him would take away a valuable trade asset for them. So despite some talk after the season that if he was not traded in the summer, he would be bought out, he is back and with no sign of an exit right now.
“To be honest, guys, I might be dreaming of stuff, but to me, I can help the team,” he added. “Like, I’m a good player. I can [expletive] play. I bring stuff that this team doesn’t have, too. So I have hope to play, to be honest. I have hope to play.
“Maybe I’m crazy, I don’t know. Maybe [coach Tom Thibodeau] has already made up his mind and stuff, but my goal is to put him in a position where he has to think about playing me. And I’m gonna treat every practice and every opportunity I have like it’s my last, and we’ll take it from there. But that’s honestly how I attack it.”
The frustration spilled out during the summer in an interview with the French newspaper L’Equipe. He clarified Saturday that something was lost in translation — for example, when he was quoted as “you want to spit on everyone,” it didn’t mean actually spitting. But when asked by the paper about his relationship with Thibodeau, he replied, “I have nothing to say because I have none.”
He took the high road Saturday — as did Thibodeau.
“So I mean that’s just the natural feeling,” Fournier said of his frustration. “Of course as a competitor, as a guy that wants to play, compete, win, do all that, of course when you don’t play, you feel a type of way. But that never changed how I behaved on a daily basis. My approach with guys, teammates, how I practiced and stuff. If some people are surprised by me being upset about not playing, I don’t know what to say. Again, the main important thing is to stay professional and do what’s right for the team.”
“He’s the ultimate professional,” Jalen Brunson said. “It’s a very tough situation to be in. But he gets his work in. He gets his extra work in. He stays ready. You never know when your number is going to be called. He’s been a great teammate and that’s one thing I’m very proud of him for and we all respect that, we all see that.”
“He’s a true pro,” Thibodeau said. “So he came in just doing all the things he should do. The number one thing is we have to be a team, so we’re going to do what’s best for the team. We respect everyone on the team. The team success is the most important thing, so that’s where we want everyone to focus. If you’re not in the rotation, make practice great. Be ready when your opportunity comes, and when your opportunity comes, you go in and play well, then you take advantage of that.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
