The French national team hadn’t been to the Olympic medal round since 2000, and they almost certainly weren’t going to get back there without Evan Fournier, their high-octane scoring guard.
Usually, Fournier said, when he awakes on the morning of a game, he’s thinking about the matchup, visualizing the ball flying out of his hands, and how he’ll guard whomever he’s to be matched with.
But on Tuesday morning, in these Tokyo Olympics that are unprecedented for so many reasons, Fournier did none of those things — even though the French were playing Italy for the right to advance to the final four.
“The first thing I did when I woke up was check my phone: ‘Where am I going?’” he said.
To the Knicks, Evan, to the Knicks. For up to four years and $78 million.
Fournier, 28, was one of two NBA players on Team France who agreed to contracts on Day 1 of NBA free agency. The other, Nicolas Batum, said yes to a two-year deal to return to the Clippers.
This situation never happens — never does the start of free agency coincide with the Olympics. To make it even stranger, Japan is 13 hours ahead of the American East Coast. So when free agency began at 6 p.m. Monday in the States, it was 7 a.m. Tuesday in Japan. Teams cannot talk to players before then, but preliminary discussions with player agents dominate the hours (and days) leading up to the official start of free agency.
“This morning I woke up at 3:30, I called my agent, like, ‘You gotta get a deal done right now so I can move on from it,’” Batum said.
On Team USA, JaVale McGee agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal with the Suns. His American coach, Gregg Popovich, is of course also the coach of the San Antonio Spurs, and Pop’s assistant on Team USA, Steve Kerr, is the coach for the Golden State Warriors. So not only were they in constant contact with their general managers and team front-office staff for free agency, but did the same last week for the NBA Draft.
Zach LaVine, a reserve guard for Team USA and star on the Chicago Bulls, is not a free agent, but he’s eligible for a contract extension. On Monday in Japan, he said, “I outplayed my contract. I’ve been very loyal to Chicago. I like Chicago. I just want my respect. If that’s now or later, it’s something we’ve got to work out internally.” He was speaking to the complicated process of the Bulls having to clear cap space to pay him above the extension his current contract makes him eligible for, which would have been impossible to do and go out and sign free agents. Then the Bulls had a huge first day of free agency, acquiring Lonzo Ball and agreeing to terms with Alex Caruso.
The Australians also have two free agents: Patty Mills and Dante Exum. Neither agreed to a contract on Day 1. (UPDATE: Later Tuesday, Mills agreed to a two-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets, a source confirmed to The Athletic’s Alex Schiffer.)
The Americans beat Spain to advance to one semifinal, and the French beat Italy to advance on the other side of the bracket. Fournier scored 21, while Batum added 15 points and 14 rebounds. McGee did not play against Spain, while LaVine scored 10 points off the bench.
As for Popovich, the Spurs agreed to terms with Doug McDermott and Zach Collins. (UPDATE: The Spurs also pulled off a sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan later Tuesday, sources told The Athletic’s Shams Charania.) The Warriors agreed to a contract with Otto Porter Jr., but they had some targets they didn’t get, including Batum.
Fournier left behind the Boston Celtics for the rival Knicks, even though he said re-signing with Boston “was my priority going into the summer” because they traded for him at the deadline last season. The Celtics did not want to dip into the luxury tax, and so they let him walk. Fournier said he wanted to play for Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, and also,“I enjoy pressure, I enjoy the spotlight.
“They had a good season and they had a really good spot open. I thought I could help and yeah, God, it’s freaking New York,” Fournier said. “You want to be a part of something big, you want to have pressure, you want to be a guy that competes every night and I feel like New York was a great opportunity for me to live those moments.”
As for Batum, 32, he always wanted to rejoin the Clippers, because he said they gave him a fresh start on his career last season. “Of course, the last 48 hours, it’s in your head,” Batum said. “Just this morning for one or two hours (I was on the phone) with my agent, ‘Get a deal done. … OK, we’re good?’ Now I am back to the Olympics. That was a crazy day, for sure.”
It’s been an Olympics of upheaval and distraction for a number of athletes who are pros in America. Ricky Rubio, who dropped 38 on the Americans for Spain, was traded on draft day by the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was stunned by the move and didn’t expect to have to return from the Olympics and pack for Cleveland. Two baseball players on Team USA, minor-league pitchers Joe Ryan and Simeon Woods Richardson, were acquired in separate trades by the Minnesota Twins at the Major League Baseball trade deadline last week. Ryan was eating in the mess hall at the Olympic village when he heard he’d been dealt.
Fournier left for the Olympics understanding that he and the Celtics might not be able to get a deal done, and being a free agent (and picking a new team) that could pay him that much money makes the situation less stressful than, say, being a minor leaguer whose stuff is locked in an apartment in Durham, North Carolina.
But at the same time, American NBA stars entering free agency often forgo playing for Team USA in those summers to avoid injury, which could jeopardize the next contract. (McGee is an exception, and he’s 33, arguably getting close to retirement). For instance, Jarrett Allen, who agreed to a five-year, $100 million deal to return to the Cavs, did not pursue a spot on Team USA because of his pending restricted free agency.
Fournier said he never considered skipping the Olympics, even though he would have been on the court for weeks, practicing and playing, and at risk for injury before getting that next contract offer.
“Hell no,” he said. “I’ve never missed any competition with France. You play for yourself, but you play for your country, you play for your family. My dad as an athlete did not get to go to the Olympics. He had a terrible injury. I want to get that (medal) for him. That means a lot to me. There are just so many things involved. You can tell those competitions are different than what it is in the NBA. We miss that during the year because it’s so intense.”
Then there are players like Team USA’s Jayson Tatum, now an ex-teammate of Fournier’s in Boston, who has seen his whole NBA team change since he’s been in Japan. Not only is Fournier a Knick, but the Celtics traded Tristan Thompson and acquired Jason Richardson.
“You always hate to see guys leave, especially guys you have a relationship with, but I guess that’s the nature of it,” Tatum said. “As a player, you show up at the beginning of training camp, the beginning of the season and whoever is there, is there. Get ready to play.”
The French national team hadn’t been to the Olympic medal round since 2000, and they almost certainly weren’t going to get back there without Evan Fournier, their high-octane scoring guard.
Usually, Fournier said, when he awakes on the morning of a game, he’s thinking about the matchup, visualizing the ball flying out of his hands, and how he’ll guard whomever he’s to be matched with.
But on Tuesday morning, in these Tokyo Olympics that are unprecedented for so many reasons, Fournier did none of those things — even though the French were playing Italy for the right to advance to the final four.
“The first thing I did when I woke up was check my phone: ‘Where am I going?’” he said.
To the Knicks, Evan, to the Knicks. For up to four years and $78 million.
Fournier, 28, was one of two NBA players on Team France who agreed to contracts on Day 1 of NBA free agency. The other, Nicolas Batum, said yes to a two-year deal to return to the Clippers.
This situation never happens — never does the start of free agency coincide with the Olympics. To make it even stranger, Japan is 13 hours ahead of the American East Coast. So when free agency began at 6 p.m. Monday in the States, it was 7 a.m. Tuesday in Japan. Teams cannot talk to players before then, but preliminary discussions with player agents dominate the hours (and days) leading up to the official start of free agency.
“This morning I woke up at 3:30, I called my agent, like, ‘You gotta get a deal done right now so I can move on from it,’” Batum said.
On Team USA, JaVale McGee agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal with the Suns. His American coach, Gregg Popovich, is of course also the coach of the San Antonio Spurs, and Pop’s assistant on Team USA, Steve Kerr, is the coach for the Golden State Warriors. So not only were they in constant contact with their general managers and team front-office staff for free agency, but did the same last week for the NBA Draft.
Zach LaVine, a reserve guard for Team USA and star on the Chicago Bulls, is not a free agent, but he’s eligible for a contract extension. On Monday in Japan, he said, “I outplayed my contract. I’ve been very loyal to Chicago. I like Chicago. I just want my respect. If that’s now or later, it’s something we’ve got to work out internally.” He was speaking to the complicated process of the Bulls having to clear cap space to pay him above the extension his current contract makes him eligible for, which would have been impossible to do and go out and sign free agents. Then the Bulls had a huge first day of free agency, acquiring Lonzo Ball and agreeing to terms with Alex Caruso.
The Australians also have two free agents: Patty Mills and Dante Exum. Neither agreed to a contract on Day 1. (UPDATE: Later Tuesday, Mills agreed to a two-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets, a source confirmed to The Athletic’s Alex Schiffer.)
The Americans beat Spain to advance to one semifinal, and the French beat Italy to advance on the other side of the bracket. Fournier scored 21, while Batum added 15 points and 14 rebounds. McGee did not play against Spain, while LaVine scored 10 points off the bench.
As for Popovich, the Spurs agreed to terms with Doug McDermott and Zach Collins. (UPDATE: The Spurs also pulled off a sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan later Tuesday, sources told The Athletic’s Shams Charania.) The Warriors agreed to a contract with Otto Porter Jr., but they had some targets they didn’t get, including Batum.
Fournier left behind the Boston Celtics for the rival Knicks, even though he said re-signing with Boston “was my priority going into the summer” because they traded for him at the deadline last season. The Celtics did not want to dip into the luxury tax, and so they let him walk. Fournier said he wanted to play for Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, and also,“I enjoy pressure, I enjoy the spotlight.
“They had a good season and they had a really good spot open. I thought I could help and yeah, God, it’s freaking New York,” Fournier said. “You want to be a part of something big, you want to have pressure, you want to be a guy that competes every night and I feel like New York was a great opportunity for me to live those moments.”
As for Batum, 32, he always wanted to rejoin the Clippers, because he said they gave him a fresh start on his career last season. “Of course, the last 48 hours, it’s in your head,” Batum said. “Just this morning for one or two hours (I was on the phone) with my agent, ‘Get a deal done. … OK, we’re good?’ Now I am back to the Olympics. That was a crazy day, for sure.”
It’s been an Olympics of upheaval and distraction for a number of athletes who are pros in America. Ricky Rubio, who dropped 38 on the Americans for Spain, was traded on draft day by the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was stunned by the move and didn’t expect to have to return from the Olympics and pack for Cleveland. Two baseball players on Team USA, minor-league pitchers Joe Ryan and Simeon Woods Richardson, were acquired in separate trades by the Minnesota Twins at the Major League Baseball trade deadline last week. Ryan was eating in the mess hall at the Olympic village when he heard he’d been dealt.
Fournier left for the Olympics understanding that he and the Celtics might not be able to get a deal done, and being a free agent (and picking a new team) that could pay him that much money makes the situation less stressful than, say, being a minor leaguer whose stuff is locked in an apartment in Durham, North Carolina.
But at the same time, American NBA stars entering free agency often forgo playing for Team USA in those summers to avoid injury, which could jeopardize the next contract. (McGee is an exception, and he’s 33, arguably getting close to retirement). For instance, Jarrett Allen, who agreed to a five-year, $100 million deal to return to the Cavs, did not pursue a spot on Team USA because of his pending restricted free agency.
Fournier said he never considered skipping the Olympics, even though he would have been on the court for weeks, practicing and playing, and at risk for injury before getting that next contract offer.
“Hell no,” he said. “I’ve never missed any competition with France. You play for yourself, but you play for your country, you play for your family. My dad as an athlete did not get to go to the Olympics. He had a terrible injury. I want to get that (medal) for him. That means a lot to me. There are just so many things involved. You can tell those competitions are different than what it is in the NBA. We miss that during the year because it’s so intense.”
Then there are players like Team USA’s Jayson Tatum, now an ex-teammate of Fournier’s in Boston, who has seen his whole NBA team change since he’s been in Japan. Not only is Fournier a Knick, but the Celtics traded Tristan Thompson and acquired Jason Richardson.
“You always hate to see guys leave, especially guys you have a relationship with, but I guess that’s the nature of it,” Tatum said. “As a player, you show up at the beginning of training camp, the beginning of the season and whoever is there, is there. Get ready to play.”
