“I can understand how people were kind of nervous about me. But I always felt like I was going to be an NBA player.” This remark resonated with the goal that Evan Fournier had set for himself. It allowed him to devote over 12 years of his professional career to the NBA. Therefore, the recent news that the 31-year-old has left the league, and will continue his career in Europe, certainly came as a surprise! According to Shams Charania, the player will join the Euro league team Olympiacos under a 2-year, $4 million deal. Looking at how much Fournier earned during his NBA career, money was certainly not the reason behind his exit.

Therefore, without any further ado, let us take a look at the player’s earnings.

How much did Evan Fournier make during his NBA stint?

According to reports, the French basketball player accumulated almost $145.8 million through his 12-year stint. However, not one sole team played a role in handing out this entire amount. After all, Fournier played for five franchises during his NBA career, with the Orlando Magic providing Evan Fornier with a sole extension.

The Denver Nuggets took in the Frenchman as the 20th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He was provided a 4-year rookie contract that would yield him $6.556 million over time. Being the first-round pick, the amount was guaranteed to him, with $1.6 million being handed annually. Unfortunately, the player didn’t stay with the Nuggets even as long as the terms allowed him to. In 2014, he was traded to Orlando Magic. Not only did the franchise take the responsibility of handing out the remainder amount from the rookie’s contract, but they also provided Fournier with a 5-year, $85 million contract in 2016.

The French star faired much better with the Orlando Magic than with the Denver Nuggets. While he only averaged 7.4 points during his first two seasons, the same average went up to 16.2 throughout seven seasons after the switch. Despite this, the Orlando Magic chose to keep the player for only as long as they had promised. In 2021, Fournier was traded to the Boston Celtics, who later traded him to the New York Knicks the same year. A 4-year, $73,000,000 contract by the Knicks provided him with a slightly higher average salary than before. However, Fournier was made to play for one year less than what Orlando Magic had offered him.

Fournier’s contract with the European league will now pay him $16.25 million less than what he had been earning annually with the Knicks. If the same had occurred within the NBA, it would have certainly come in the Top 30 biggest pay cuts in league history. Therefore, the 31-year-old would certainly have an excellent reason to leave behind a pay level and a spot in basketball’s top league that so many people only dream of having. Several reports attributed the same to the player’s diminishing role within the league, as he only appeared in 32 games during the recent season. On top of that, no one could have helped but notice that the player was not provided with any significant honors throughout his decade-long career.

Evan Fournier was one of NBA’s highest-paid players to not make an all-star appearance

During the 2023-24 season, Evan Fournier’s decade-long contribution was certainly recognized. After all, not everybody gets to be the 79th highest-paid player of the season, earning even higher than stars like OG Anunoby and D’Angelo Russell. Despite this, even in his 12th year, Fournier had not been named to the All-Star team even once. A significant reason behind this can be attributed to the player’s stats and the teams he was playing for.

It is important to note that a combination of fan, player, and media voting selects members of the All-Star team. While Evan Fournier played some of his best basketball with the Orlando Magic, the team only made it to the playoffs twice in seven years. This may not have given the player enough recognition to allow him to be voted on the roster. Ironically, things turned completely opposite after the Frenchman was traded to the New York Knicks. While he was with the 2nd most valuable NBA franchise, as ranked by Forbes in 2022, Fournier’s performance drastically dropped. In his last full season with the team, he only averaged 6.1 points and 4 points in the three games he played during the 2023-24 season before being traded to the Detroit Pistons.

As a result, Fournier will be leaving the NBA without having the mark of being an All-Star to his name. However, this doesn’t mean that the 12 years were entirely wasted. The French player secured some impressive stats during his limited period.

How has Evan Fournier fared in his NBA and international career?

In his 12 years with the NBA, Evan Fournier averaged 13.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. The same was achieved by the player going 4.9-11.1 (44.1%) with his field goals, 1.9-5.2 (37.4%) with his three-pointers, and 1.9-2.4 (79.9%) with free throws. Fournier’s career-high occurred in January 2022, when he scored 41 points by shooting over ten successful three-pointers. By March of that same year, he had surpassed John Starks record for the most 3-pointers made in a season. However, Donte DiVincenzo would later surpass the record.

While Evan Fournier couldn’t secure many accomplishments on the domestic stage, he found significant international success by representing France in three FIBA World Cups and two Olympics. Fournier claimed during the 2023 FIBA World Cup that the series will be his “launchpad.” It proved so, as Fournier came out as one of the top scorers by averaging 21.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2 assists. Unfortunately, France had to walk away from the World Cup without a medal. Things changed during the 2024 Paris Olympics, as a French lineup led by Victor Wembanyama and Guerschon Yabusele went all the way to the Finals and secured the Silver Medal. Fournier averaged a significant playing time of 20.6 minutes, through which he made 9.8 points per game.

Staying on in the NBA would have made the player eligible for a pay higher than his $18.25 million annual pay with the Knicks. Given his decline within the league, however, Evan Fournier may have felt that his talents would be better used in Europe. While most of his NBA counterparts may never get to play alongside/against him again, they can surely meet the player on the international stage.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.