Knicks wing Evan Fournier was candid about his NBA future after New York’s 2022-23 season — his second with the franchise — ended after Saturday’s 96-92 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“Reflecting on it?” said Fournier, who averaged 6.1 points on 33.7% shooting and 30.7% from 3-point range in 17 minutes over 27 regular-season games (seven starts) in Year 2 of a four-year, $73 million contract signed with the Knicks. “My season has been over for a very long time, actually. This officially is the end, but my season was over a long time ago. 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. At first, it’s frustrating because you love the game so much — you’re home, you’re upset, etcetera, etcetera, and I’ve got two kids at home. I don’t wanna live like this.
“So I was just trying to focus on the work, focus on not wasting my time — get my legs straight and work on my skills, basically not waste myself. So that was my whole mentality. I know the season is officially over now , but that’s just the opportunity of the summer for me.”
The 30-year-old Fournier — who averaged 14.1 points on 41.7% shooting and a 38.9% clip from behind the arc in 29.5 minutes while starting all 80 regular-season games he logged across the 2021-22 season — last played April 9, during a 141-136 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
“In the playoffs, it’s even harder because of the intensity and you want to help and you see the crowd,” Fournier said. “But, you know, I knew it wasn’t gonna happen. So try to stay positive with the guys, try to help, talk to a few of the players who don’t have the experience.”
What comes next ultimately remains to be seen for Fournier, whose 11-year NBA career includes stints with the Denver Nuggets (2012-14), Orlando Magic (2014-21) and Boston Celtics (2021), but he seems set on the next step in his short-term future.
“You know I’m not gonna be back,” Fournier said. “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.”