Evan Fournier had an opportunity to extend his NBA career, but he reveals in an interview with the French media outlet L’Equipe that he declined a two-year offer from the Wizards, according to French journalist Maxime Aubin (Twitter link ).
The full interview won’t be posted until Thursday, but Aubin reports that Fournier said he wasn’t interested in taking on a “mentoring role” or playing for “a losing team.” That’s the situation he found himself in after being sent to Detroit at last season’s trade deadline. Fournier wound up playing 29 games for the Pistons and averaging 7.2 PPG off the bench in 18.7 minutes per night while shooting 37.3% from the field and 27% from three-point range, both far below his career averages.
The 32-year-old guard opted to return to Europe , agreeing to a two-year contract with Olimpiacos over the weekend. After being stuck in Tom Thibodeau’s doghouse with the Knicks and seeing very limited playing time over the past two seasons, Fournier wanted a situation where he could “enjoy playing basketball again,” per Aubin.
Fournier was one of the league’s most productive shooting guards during his six-plus seasons with Orlando, and he had a strong first year with New York, starting all 80 games he played while averaging 14.1 PPG and shooting 38.9% from beyond the arc. He fell out of favor with Thibodeau the next season because of his defensive shortcomings, but the Knicks’ front office decided to hold onto him and his hefty contract in case it was needed for a major trade.
At last month’s Olympics, Fournier showed he can still play at a high level against some of the world’s best competition. He averaged 9.8 points in six games to help French capture the silver medal.
Fournier received a hero’s welcome from Greek fans when he arrived at the airport and posted a short video of their response on Twitter. He told L’Equipe that playing in Europe became his priority after the Olympics wrapped up, Eurohoops relays.
“I would have liked to experience more things in the NBA, I only made the playoffs five times,” Fournier said. “But you don’t control everything about your destiny there. After the Olympic Games, I told my agent that I was keen to (return to Europe). Olympiakos was my priority.”