Could Evan Fournier fit with the Atlanta Hawks?
In a case of misfortunate bad timing, the Atlanta Hawks enter the summer with the league’s most cap space only to be met with one of the weakest free agency classes in recent years. The lone stars on the market either have a juicy player option, are restricted, or are very likely to return to their prior team.
One player that does have a player option but could opt-out to seek a long term deal is Orlando’s Evan Fournier. The 27-year-old wing has spent the last six seasons with the Magic after being drafted by the Nuggets in 2012, becoming a very solid offensive threat.
Fournier’s player option would net him $17 million next season, but he could try to get more than that on the open market. It’s also bad timing for him, as it’s quite unclear what the salary cap will be next year, which could lead to some teams being afraid to break the bank for a player like Fournier.
If the Atlanta Hawks were able to make the money work and sign him, he could be a great fit with their young core. Fournier can play either the two or three and would give the starting lineup a nice veteran boost.
He’s a fantastic wing scorer and can get buckets both inside and out. He made a career-high 41 percent of his threes last season on nearly seven attempts per game and an ideal perimeter threat to keep teams honest and keep some double-team pressure off Trae Young.
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He would be the second-best player on the Hawks in terms of making his own looks and his consistent three-level scoring could tie Atlanta’s offense up in a nice, efficient bow. The French swingman has always been touted as a great teammate on and off the court, which could help the Hawks deal with Vince Carter‘s departure.
On the other hand, Fournier is known as a slow-paced, patient player which could go against the Hawks’ blistering style of offense, which has been in the top-five fastest in each of the last two seasons.
He’s not exactly seen as a stopper defensively either, but with young wings like Cam Reddish and De’Andre Hunter able to pick up slack on that end, the Hawks have room to focus on their offense here.
Fournier would be one of, if not the best shooting guards on the open market if he opts out of his deal, and for the right price, could make a very nice addition in Atlanta.
Should the Atlanta Hawks sign Evan Fournier?