After being buried on Tom Thibodeau’s bench for most of the last two seasons, then getting a major role and averaging 9.8 points per game for the silver medal winning French team in the Paris Olympics, Evan Fournier didn’t want to go back to sitting on an NBA bench.
So he turned down a two-year offer from the Wizards to sign with EuroLeague powerhouse Olympiacos in Greece, Fournier told French sports publication L’Equipe, via Maxime Aubin (hat tip Hoop Rumors).
Evan Fournier said he was offered a 2-year contract with the Wizards in the NBA, but he wasn’t interested in a “mentoring role” with the youngsters, “on a losing team.”
Added that he wants to “compete” in Europe and “enjoy playing basketball again”.
Reported by @lequipe &…
– Maxime Aubin (@MaximeAubin1) 4 September 2024
Look at Fournier’s welcome in Greece and you can see why he made the call.
The money as a top European player and the veteran minimum contract that the Wizards offered should be similar, and if that is the case of course he chose to get on the court and play for something meaningful. After a dozen years in the NBA, Fournier was ready for a change.
He is in a place where he enjoyed playing again. For an aging player, that matters a lot.
