Report: Boston’s Evan Fournier expected to seek $18 million per season, Knicks interested

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/report-boston-evan-fournier-expected-222730008.html



Report: Boston’s Evan Fournier expected to seek $18 million per season, Knicks interested


Justin Quinn
Tue, July 27, 2021, 3:27 PM


If the Boston Celtics were hoping to re-sign veteran shooting guard Evan Fournier on the cheap, it has been a bad week for that aspiration for a team that may well be over a barrel when it comes to bringing the St. Maurice native back on a new contract.

With his Olympic performance against the U.S. and the reporting from the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey that the former Orlando Magic wing will be looking for a paycheck in the neighborhood of $18 million per season with the New York Knicks a potential suitor, it seems Fournier probably won’t be inking any bargain deals this offseason.

Noting that the Knicks will pursue the Frenchman in free agency, Pompey suggests that Fournier “is expected to ask for around $18 million per season.”

While likely higher than Boston hoped to spend, such a deal is not far from a workable rate, and something the Celtics might conceivably pay — though perhaps for just a season or two given the potential to pair a star with the team’s young star wings in the summers of 2022 or 2023.

The “X” factor of course is just how much money New York is willing to tie up in an offer sheet to Fournier and for how long; with negotiations allowed in earnest on August 2 at 6 pm ET, we don’t have too long to wait to find out.


Bob
MY NOTE:  Good news, we own his Bird Rights which means we can go over the cap to resign him.  Bad news, we have Smart and RWill coming up for extensions too.  More good news, just because we resign him doesn't mean we have to keep him.  A bit more good news, the Knicks are reportedly interested in a lot of players.  How many can they sign and is Fournier really that much of a priority?  We have players coming up for extensions, but they have Julius Randle in his final contract year.  He's making $19.8M this year and has a $21.8M cap hit.  You know he'll be asking for a lot more and, now that he's an All-Star, he'll be able to get it.

If Fournier is signed by NY or anybody else because his price is higher than what we can afford that would be a major blow to Danny's role in this.  He traded half of Gordon's TPE to get Fournier with the expectation of resigning him.  If Fournier leaves that was a lot of money wasted.  That would mean that whomever we can get with the remaining $11M of Gordon's TPE will be the sum total of what Danny salvaged from Gordon's departure (plus a few months of Fournier).


.

Brad, pay the man.

Wyc, pay the man.

Do not forget we had to let Daniel Theis go to get Fournier. So to let him walk away now is just bad overall, regardless if you think of it as a business mistake now or cutting losses on a terrible business mistake before.

So... +1 for the "pay the man" train.

I think $18 mil per is a bit high for Fournier but it may be a case of no one much better available right now. Might as well cough it up and hope for the best. He can help scoring a little, so that’s good.

I don’t see anyone else giving him 18 mill a year, I’d go lower

cowens/oldschool wrote:I don’t see anyone else giving him 18 mill a year, I’d go lower

I wouldn't worry about a couple million/year to try to squeeze him. Pay him enough so that he doesn't have to look elsewhere. Losing him for "NBA pennies" would be a blemish on Brad's first year of team building.

You know that $18M/year will seem to be a bargain in a couple seasons? If (when) the cap gets bigger in the future, $18M/year won't seem so much, compared to what other good players in his category are getting.

gyso wrote:

cowens/oldschool wrote:I don’t see anyone else giving him 18 mill a year, I’d go lower

I wouldn't worry about a couple million/year to try to squeeze him.  Pay him enough so that he doesn't have to look elsewhere.  Losing him for "NBA pennies" would be a blemish on Brad's first year of team building.

You know that $18M/year will seem to be a bargain in a couple seasons?  If (when) the cap gets bigger in the future, $18M/year won't seem so much, compared to what other good players in his category are getting.

That makes sense, but how do you sign Smart and RWill next year if they have good years?

gyso wrote:

cowens/oldschool wrote:I don’t see anyone else giving him 18 mill a year, I’d go lower

I wouldn't worry about a couple million/year to try to squeeze him.  Pay him enough so that he doesn't have to look elsewhere.  Losing him for "NBA pennies" would be a blemish on Brad's first year of team building.

You know that $18M/year will seem to be a bargain in a couple seasons?  If (when) the cap gets bigger in the future, $18M/year won't seem so much, compared to what other good players in his category are getting.

gyso,

We thought Avery Bradley getting $8M/year back in 2014 was evidence Danny was losing his mind.  Turns out it was cheap when the TV money kicked in.  Marcus Smart getting $13M/year was a lot of money too, remember?  Turns out it's one the best team deals in the NBA.  And Jaylen Brown for $24.8M this year, $26.6M next year and $28.5M in 2023-2024?  Another steal.  We're dealing with numbers I struggle to understand, numbers that far exceed my meager mental capacities as to how to spend all of that, numbers that take into account factors we are not privy to like unannounced TV revenues under negotiation, but this is par for the course in the NBA.  

I think the key things to focus on with Fournier and his upcoming contract are these:

1.  He's only 28, still on his front 9 and will still have good years left in his career in his final contract year or two if there's reason to want to trade him.
2.  He has no serious injury history, so there's no reason to assume he could miss a lot of games from that.
3.  He has a highly desired NBA skill, shooting.
4.  He gives Brad another mid-level contract he can use to package for a big-time star who wants out of their current situation.
5.  Nesmith won't be ready to step up for another year or two.  It is very reasonable, even totally expected, for young'uns to need to get to their 3rd season before taking the big jump up, and sometimes they do and sometimes they don't.  If, for some reason, Nesmith doesn't we'll be ecstatic to have Fournier under contract for another year or two after that.  And if he does then Evan Fournier will still only be 30 or so and have another year or two on his contract, both very valuable pieces of bait.

Does his defense bother me?  Yeah, to be honest, but that's why he's not an All-Star.  All-Stars play at an elite level on both ends of the court.  Then again he showed up mid-season, no training camp or any of that, got COVID, then went back into COVID protocol because of contact tracing.  Perhaps I shouldn't judge him too harshly until after he's had a full running start to a season in Boston.  New year, new coach, new system and as we saw in the playoffs he's pretty damn competitive.  Was it Durant whose grill he got into in the playoffs?  It was definitely a bigger player than him and he was jawing away from point blank, not taking shite from anybody and not laying down because we were losing.


Bob


.

We assume TV money and hence the cap will grow in the future. If so, I don't understand why, since NBA TV viewership has been shrinking. Mike Zarren knows the details. I'll trust his judgment on this and any future signings.

worcester wrote:We assume TV money and hence the cap will grow in the future. If so, I don't understand why, since NBA TV viewership has been shrinking. Mike Zarren knows the details. I'll trust his judgment on this and any future signings.

With the rise of so many excellent streaming services, people have a ton of choices regarding what to watch. The old days of 3 networks are long gone. Shows like Johnny Carson's late show and M.A.S.H. used to get half the country or more watching. Not even Game of Thrones got that type of viewership, yet it still made HBO a ton of money. Similarly, the NBA stills makes TV money.

cowens/oldschool wrote:

gyso wrote:

cowens/oldschool wrote:I don’t see anyone else giving him 18 mill a year, I’d go lower

I wouldn't worry about a couple million/year to try to squeeze him.  Pay him enough so that he doesn't have to look elsewhere.  Losing him for "NBA pennies" would be a blemish on Brad's first year of team building.

You know that $18M/year will seem to be a bargain in a couple seasons?  If (when) the cap gets bigger in the future, $18M/year won't seem so much, compared to what other good players in his category are getting.

That makes sense, but how do you sign Smart and RWill next year if they have good years?

Bird Rights Exception. Especially Smart. RWill still has to prove he can stay on the floor for a big payday, so like you say, if he has a good year.

If we are winning and the owners are happy with the results, they most likely will keep paying the luxury tax. Going deep into the playoffs and being on national TV pays for a lot of that. The owner's ego will pay the rest. This is just millions to billionaires, play money. (IMO)

bobheckler wrote:

gyso wrote:

cowens/oldschool wrote:I don’t see anyone else giving him 18 mill a year, I’d go lower

I wouldn't worry about a couple million/year to try to squeeze him.  Pay him enough so that he doesn't have to look elsewhere.  Losing him for "NBA pennies" would be a blemish on Brad's first year of team building.

You know that $18M/year will seem to be a bargain in a couple seasons?  If (when) the cap gets bigger in the future, $18M/year won't seem so much, compared to what other good players in his category are getting.

gyso,

We thought Avery Bradley getting $8M/year back in 2014 was evidence Danny was losing his mind.  Turns out it was cheap when the TV money kicked in.  Marcus Smart getting $13M/year was a lot of money too, remember?  Turns out it's one the best team deals in the NBA.  And Jaylen Brown for $24.8M this year, $26.6M next year and $28.5M in 2023-2024?  Another steal.  We're dealing with numbers I struggle to understand, numbers that far exceed my meager mental capacities as to how to spend all of that, numbers that take into account factors we are not privy to like unannounced TV revenues under negotiation, but this is par for the course in the NBA.  

I think the key things to focus on with Fournier and his upcoming contract are these:

1.  He's only 28, still on his front 9 and will still have good years left in his career in his final contract year or two if there's reason to want to trade him.
2.  He has no serious injury history, so there's no reason to assume he could miss a lot of games from that.
3.  He has a highly desired NBA skill, shooting.
4.  He gives Brad another mid-level contract he can use to package for a big-time star who wants out of their current situation.
5.  Nesmith won't be ready to step up for another year or two.  It is very reasonable, even totally expected, for young'uns to need to get to their 3rd season before taking the big jump up, and sometimes they do and sometimes they don't.  If, for some reason, Nesmith doesn't we'll be ecstatic to have Fournier under contract for another year or two after that.  And if he does then Evan Fournier will still only be 30 or so and have another year or two on his contract, both very valuable pieces of bait.

Does his defense bother me?  Yeah, to be honest, but that's why he's not an All-Star.  All-Stars play at an elite level on both ends of the court.  Then again he showed up mid-season, no training camp or any of that, got COVID, then went back into COVID protocol because of contact tracing.  Perhaps I shouldn't judge him too harshly until after he's had a full running start to a season in Boston.  New year, new coach, new system and as we saw in the playoffs he's pretty damn competitive.  Was it Durant whose grill he got into in the playoffs?  It was definitely a bigger player than him and he was jawing away from point blank, not taking shite from anybody and not laying down because we were losing.  


Bob


.

Bob,

I agree with everything you wrote, especially the part at the end where we should hold off on our judgement from his play last season. His fit with the team after some time with new players, new coach, health, etc. may prove to negate some of his weaknesses at D. We've been whining for a veteran experienced shooter with height and we all should not let results from last fracking season be our guide.

bobheckler wrote:

gyso wrote:

cowens/oldschool wrote:I don’t see anyone else giving him 18 mill a year, I’d go lower

I wouldn't worry about a couple million/year to try to squeeze him.  Pay him enough so that he doesn't have to look elsewhere.  Losing him for "NBA pennies" would be a blemish on Brad's first year of team building.

You know that $18M/year will seem to be a bargain in a couple seasons?  If (when) the cap gets bigger in the future, $18M/year won't seem so much, compared to what other good players in his category are getting.

gyso,

We thought Avery Bradley getting $8M/year back in 2014 was evidence Danny was losing his mind.  Turns out it was cheap when the TV money kicked in.  Marcus Smart getting $13M/year was a lot of money too, remember?  Turns out it's one the best team deals in the NBA.  And Jaylen Brown for $24.8M this year, $26.6M next year and $28.5M in 2023-2024?  Another steal.  We're dealing with numbers I struggle to understand, numbers that far exceed my meager mental capacities as to how to spend all of that, numbers that take into account factors we are not privy to like unannounced TV revenues under negotiation, but this is par for the course in the NBA.  

I think the key things to focus on with Fournier and his upcoming contract are these:

1.  He's only 28, still on his front 9 and will still have good years left in his career in his final contract year or two if there's reason to want to trade him.
2.  He has no serious injury history, so there's no reason to assume he could miss a lot of games from that.
3.  He has a highly desired NBA skill, shooting.
4.  He gives Brad another mid-level contract he can use to package for a big-time star who wants out of their current situation.
5.  Nesmith won't be ready to step up for another year or two.  It is very reasonable, even totally expected, for young'uns to need to get to their 3rd season before taking the big jump up, and sometimes they do and sometimes they don't.  If, for some reason, Nesmith doesn't we'll be ecstatic to have Fournier under contract for another year or two after that.  And if he does then Evan Fournier will still only be 30 or so and have another year or two on his contract, both very valuable pieces of bait.

Does his defense bother me?  Yeah, to be honest, but that's why he's not an All-Star.  All-Stars play at an elite level on both ends of the court.  Then again he showed up mid-season, no training camp or any of that, got COVID, then went back into COVID protocol because of contact tracing.  Perhaps I shouldn't judge him too harshly until after he's had a full running start to a season in Boston.  New year, new coach, new system and as we saw in the playoffs he's pretty damn competitive.  Was it Durant whose grill he got into in the playoffs?  It was definitely a bigger player than him and he was jawing away from point blank, not taking shite from anybody and not laying down because we were losing.  


Bob


.

I’m with bob. This is a no brainer and the only way to make something out of the unfortunate nothing that was Gordon Hayward’s time with this team.

bobheckler wrote:

gyso wrote:

cowens/oldschool wrote:I don’t see anyone else giving him 18 mill a year, I’d go lower

I wouldn't worry about a couple million/year to try to squeeze him.  Pay him enough so that he doesn't have to look elsewhere.  Losing him for "NBA pennies" would be a blemish on Brad's first year of team building.

You know that $18M/year will seem to be a bargain in a couple seasons?  If (when) the cap gets bigger in the future, $18M/year won't seem so much, compared to what other good players in his category are getting.

gyso,

We thought Avery Bradley getting $8M/year back in 2014 was evidence Danny was losing his mind.  Turns out it was cheap when the TV money kicked in.  Marcus Smart getting $13M/year was a lot of money too, remember?  Turns out it's one the best team deals in the NBA.  And Jaylen Brown for $24.8M this year, $26.6M next year and $28.5M in 2023-2024?  Another steal.  We're dealing with numbers I struggle to understand, numbers that far exceed my meager mental capacities as to how to spend all of that, numbers that take into account factors we are not privy to like unannounced TV revenues under negotiation, but this is par for the course in the NBA.  

I think the key things to focus on with Fournier and his upcoming contract are these:

1.  He's only 28, still on his front 9 and will still have good years left in his career in his final contract year or two if there's reason to want to trade him.
2.  He has no serious injury history, so there's no reason to assume he could miss a lot of games from that.
3.  He has a highly desired NBA skill, shooting.
4.  He gives Brad another mid-level contract he can use to package for a big-time star who wants out of their current situation.
5.  Nesmith won't be ready to step up for another year or two.  It is very reasonable, even totally expected, for young'uns to need to get to their 3rd season before taking the big jump up, and sometimes they do and sometimes they don't.  If, for some reason, Nesmith doesn't we'll be ecstatic to have Fournier under contract for another year or two after that.  And if he does then Evan Fournier will still only be 30 or so and have another year or two on his contract, both very valuable pieces of bait.

Does his defense bother me?  Yeah, to be honest, but that's why he's not an All-Star.  All-Stars play at an elite level on both ends of the court.  Then again he showed up mid-season, no training camp or any of that, got COVID, then went back into COVID protocol because of contact tracing.  Perhaps I shouldn't judge him too harshly until after he's had a full running start to a season in Boston.  New year, new coach, new system and as we saw in the playoffs he's pretty damn competitive.  Was it Durant whose grill he got into in the playoffs?  It was definitely a bigger player than him and he was jawing away from point blank, not taking shite from anybody and not laying down because we were losing.  


Bob


.

I’m with bob. This is a no brainer and the only way to make something out of the unfortunate nothing that was Gordon Hayward’s time with this team.

bobheckler wrote:

gyso wrote:

cowens/oldschool wrote:I don’t see anyone else giving him 18 mill a year, I’d go lower

I wouldn't worry about a couple million/year to try to squeeze him.  Pay him enough so that he doesn't have to look elsewhere.  Losing him for "NBA pennies" would be a blemish on Brad's first year of team building.

You know that $18M/year will seem to be a bargain in a couple seasons?  If (when) the cap gets bigger in the future, $18M/year won't seem so much, compared to what other good players in his category are getting.

gyso,

We thought Avery Bradley getting $8M/year back in 2014 was evidence Danny was losing his mind.  Turns out it was cheap when the TV money kicked in.  Marcus Smart getting $13M/year was a lot of money too, remember?  Turns out it's one the best team deals in the NBA.  And Jaylen Brown for $24.8M this year, $26.6M next year and $28.5M in 2023-2024?  Another steal.  We're dealing with numbers I struggle to understand, numbers that far exceed my meager mental capacities as to how to spend all of that, numbers that take into account factors we are not privy to like unannounced TV revenues under negotiation, but this is par for the course in the NBA.  

I think the key things to focus on with Fournier and his upcoming contract are these:

1.  He's only 28, still on his front 9 and will still have good years left in his career in his final contract year or two if there's reason to want to trade him.
2.  He has no serious injury history, so there's no reason to assume he could miss a lot of games from that.
3.  He has a highly desired NBA skill, shooting.
4.  He gives Brad another mid-level contract he can use to package for a big-time star who wants out of their current situation.
5.  Nesmith won't be ready to step up for another year or two.  It is very reasonable, even totally expected, for young'uns to need to get to their 3rd season before taking the big jump up, and sometimes they do and sometimes they don't.  If, for some reason, Nesmith doesn't we'll be ecstatic to have Fournier under contract for another year or two after that.  And if he does then Evan Fournier will still only be 30 or so and have another year or two on his contract, both very valuable pieces of bait.

Does his defense bother me?  Yeah, to be honest, but that's why he's not an All-Star.  All-Stars play at an elite level on both ends of the court.  Then again he showed up mid-season, no training camp or any of that, got COVID, then went back into COVID protocol because of contact tracing.  Perhaps I shouldn't judge him too harshly until after he's had a full running start to a season in Boston.  New year, new coach, new system and as we saw in the playoffs he's pretty damn competitive.  Was it Durant whose grill he got into in the playoffs?  It was definitely a bigger player than him and he was jawing away from point blank, not taking shite from anybody and not laying down because we were losing.  


Bob


.

Yessir!

I disagree that good players don’t show it until their 3rd year. Jaylen showed his future all star status in his 2nd year. In 2 games against GS and Durant that year he was our primary defender and scored even with him in their match ups. Tatum showed his all star to be status in his rookie year, carrying us all the way to game 7 of ECF with Jaylen and punctuating with a mad dunk on Lebron in game 7!!

Every player is different and some regress like Ben Simmons or never get there like Markelle Fultz. So I’m not saying AN is going to show all star ability, but he can be very productive hitting 3’s while learning the game and help us next year in a few phases.