Evan Fournier: Atlanta’s Perfect Free Agent Fit?

The Orlando Magic wing is entering restricted free agency at the age of 23. Coming off the best season of his career, Evan Fournier displayed a very appealing and versatile skill set this past season. A skill set that just might make him an extraordinary fit for the Atlanta Hawks.

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Hawks this offseason is centered around the depth on the wing. With Kent Bazemore entering free agency, there is an obvious hole at the small forward position if he departs. But as the roster currently stands, Thabo Sefolosha was the only bench wing player that played significant minutes for the team. Combine the need for wing players with the need for more scorers, Evan Fournier could be the answer for the Atlanta Hawks.

Fournier had a breakout season for the Orlando Magic this past year, averaging 15.4 points, 2.7 assists, and shot an excellent 40% from beyond the arc. At 6-7, Fournier’s height makes him a very big shooting guard while also possessing the ability to play small forward as well. His athleticism allows him to play either wing spot and thrive in both positions. His perimeter shooting is his most intriguing attribute. Combining that with his height makes him comparable to younger Kyle Korver in some ways. But Fournier displays a more versatile offensive game than Korver. Fournier has flashed great ability to get to the basket and finish strongly in the paint. His passing, too, is also very good. Putting him in the Hawks’ offensive system that praises ball movement could allow him to average 5 assists per game or more. Couple that with his tremendous shooting and developing inside game, Fournier has the tools to be an offensive star in Atlanta’s system.

The questions surrounding Fournier’s development as a player have been regularly tied to defense. A lackluster defender when he entered the league, Fournier has showed steady improvement throughout his four seasons. He is still an average defender at best, but his effort level has increased greatly as of late. Couple effort with his physical tools, and you have a guy that could potentially be a very good defender. Fournier has displayed active hands and averaged a solid 1.2 steals per game this past season. Give those tools to the Atlanta Hawks coaching staff, and I am convinced that we will see very good defense being played by Fournier.

But being a restricted free agent, is Fournier obtainable? I believe that he could be at a certain price. The Orlando Magic have invested vast resources and draft capital in wing players such as Victor Oladipo and Mario Hezonja. The Magic have been tied to several veteran free agents, and may want to save money to invest in those types of players (they’ve been linked to Al Horford). Perhaps if you throw $13-$15 million dollars per year at Fournier and he is genuinely interested in leaving Orlando for Atlanta, the Magic may not want to match the offer. That price tag is about the same that Bazemore might command on the open market. Why would we throw that money at Fournier when we could use it to keep Baze?  1. The Hawks need scorers. 2. Who says we can’t have both? I believe that a sign-and-trade could work for both teams. The Magic want veteran players and upgrades regardless of position, but they also want a defensive-minded center. How about a sign-and-trade sending Tiago Splitter, cash, and a future first round draft pick for Fournier? Or maybe using Teague as a trade chip to sway them? If Fournier expresses interest in leaving after signing the offer sheet and the Magic don’t want to pay that total, then that is a decent consolation prize for Orlando.  A good veteran point guard could really help the young Magic and Teague could help them develop their own young players. At $8 million, he would also be cheaper than what Fournier is going to receive on the market and the Magic would get a much needed veteran leader. Not to mention the saved money that would provide financial flexibility to potentially bring in a big name, and a credible former All-Star to entice other players to join the team.

Some of you may read this and think that $13-$15 million per year for Fournier is absurd. But with the rising salary cap, that number is not going to be as bad as it normally would. Fournier’s skill set is tailor-made for the Atlanta Hawks’ system. A young, big, dynamic wing is what could put the Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals, again. If they shed Splitter and trade Jeff Teague (and maybe some other nifty salary moves), Atlanta might be able to retain Bazemore, Horford, and sign someone like Fournier. Then wing depth would go from a weakness to a strength with a rotation of Korver, Fournier, Bazemore, and Sefolosha. That sounds like a really good group; especially coupled with the Hawks’ big men. In reality, we don’t know if the Hawks will even target Fournier. But his offensive skill set and defensive tools would fit perfectly. In Atlanta, his skills could allow him to become an All-Star caliber player.