NBA Free Agency: 3 best landing spots for Evan Fournier

Dallas Mavericks</a> already have a player with an arguably similar set of skills in Tim Hardaway Jr. Like Fournier, however, Hardaway is a free agent, creating a potential need to find his replacement.</p> <p>In some ways, Fournier may even be a better fit going forward than Hardaway. The Frenchman is slightly bigger at 6’7″ (Hardaway is only 6’6″). Fournier is also the better ball-handler between the two.</p> <p>When it comes to scoring, the two had very comparable years last season. Fournier averaged 17.1 points per game, Hardaway averaged 16.6 points per game. Fournier held a slight advantage in field goal percentage (45.7 percent to 44.7 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage (41.3 percent to 39.1 percent). Hardaway had the edge in free throw shooting, 81.6 percent against 78.8 percent from Fournier.</p> <p>Where Fournier really distinguishes himself is as a passer. He averaged 3.4 assists per game, almost double Hardaway’s paltry 1.8 assists per game. The value of being able to pass may be limited by the presence of Luka Doncic, but Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis are both strong scorers and there’s no harm in having someone pass them open from time to time.</p> <p>At the end of the day, Hardaway and Fournier are likely filling the same role for the Mavs, who may prefer to keep Hardaway for continuity purposes. If he leaves, however, Fournier is a worthy replacement for their international core.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/nba-free-agency-evan-fournier/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433284" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-433284" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/nba-free-agency-evan-fournier/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1150,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1316875122.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1150" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1316875122.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1316875122-768x552.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">NBA free agency Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images</p> </div> </div> <h2>NBA free agency destinations for Evan Fournier: 2. Chicago Bulls</h2> <p>The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/nba-free-agency-evan-fournier/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/chicago-bulls/">Chicago Bulls</a> are a team that has seemingly been on the fringe of the playoff discussion for years now. If they’re truly close to breaking through, they need to make some big moves this offseason.</p> <p>Bringing Fournier to Chicago would give the Bulls two very strong scoring guards, with Fournier plugging in next to Zach LaVine. It would also reunite Fournier with his old Orlando compatriot, Nikola Vucevic.</p> <p>The Bulls’ top priority needs to be to improve their scoring. Averaging 110.7 points per game may have been impressive a decade ago, but it was in the bottom third of the league last season. Fournier instantly improves that aspect of the franchise, especially when compared to another wing like Denzel Valentine.</p> <p>While Fournier isn’t an elite ball-handler or distributor, he could also be serviceable when it’s time for Billy Donovan to give Coby White a rest. The Bulls should be able to avoid missing a beat on the offensive end, even without a true point guard on the floor.</p> <p>Going out and signing a player like Fournier is an acknowledgment that this team is ready to break through and return to the postseason. But that’s the same bet they made when trading for Vucevic. It’s time to put money where the mouth is and get back to the playoffs.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/nba-free-agency-evan-fournier/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_426104" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/nba-free-agency-evan-fournier/"http://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/imagn-images/2017/07/15826109-1.jpeg">worth further exploring</a>.</p> <p>Fournier managed to fulfill the most important role he could with the Celtics, instantly becoming their best three-point shooter. During his brief Boston tenure, Fournier shot 46.3 percent from three, averaging 13.0 points per game. His 3.3 rebounds per game would also be a career-high if extrapolated over a full season.</p> <p>Fournier showed a particular propensity for hitting on catch-and-shoot jumpers, making over half of his attempts. He struggled when it came to getting to the rim and finishing there, but that&#8217;s not the role the Celtics really need him to fill anyway.</p> <p>If the Celtics choose to try and retain Fournier, it means they&#8217;re going for broke, as the Frenchman isn&#8217;t getting any younger. There has been speculation involving trading Jaylen Brown and re-signing Fournier could actually increase those rumors if the Celtics decide to try acquiring someone like Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal.</p> <p>As for the contract, it will probably land in the $15-20 million range, which will probably put the Celtics around $10 million above the tax line, depending on their other moves. That may seem prohibitive, but it may not be as much of a factor as the need to try and save money for the free-agent chase a year from now, projected to be a stronger class.</p> <p>While Kemba Walker couldn&#8217;t fulfill expectations, his production still needs to be replaced to some degree. Keeping Fournier around is a good start to that process.</p> <div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="5 teams that should target D-Rose" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/30/2021-nba-free-agency-5-teams-target-derrick-rose/" data-call-to-action="Next" > <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/31/nba-free-agency-evan-fournier/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/30/2021-nba-free-agency-5-teams-target-derrick-rose/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span>&nbsp;5 teams that should target D-Rose </a> </div> </div><!—pageview_candidate—>">