By John Denton
On the eve of the NBA’s free-agent courting period – one that will almost assuredly reward him with a lifetime of riches – Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier was tirelessly putting in the work that helped him put himself in this enviable position.
For more than an hour, Fournier drilled shot after shot from varying distances and later dribbled two basketballs in an attempt to better his ball-handling skills. You never would have known that Fournier was just hours away from landing a massive payday what with the way sweat poured off his brow and how he huffed and puffed from the work being putting in.
At midnight, Fournier was set to become a restricted free agent, meaning he was free to negotiate an offer sheet with any NBA team willing to pay him. His current squad, the Orlando Magic, will have the right to match that offer sheet and retain him – something that is almost a certainty to happen because of the high regard that they have for the talented 23-year-old shooting guard.
Fournier said he was at complete peace heading into the NBA’s highly anticipated free agency sweepstakes because he knows the Magic want him back and his contract will ultimately take care of itself because of the career-year season he has in the books.
“It’s a reward, but it’s definitely not the end of the road and it’s just a part of my career,” Fournier said of arriving at a time that will almost certainly see him get a raise by tens of millions of dollars. “The thing you want the most is a ring. When I get up every day, I don’t think about my contract because I still have 10 more years to play, hopefully. Obviously it’s a big time for me, but I’m not nervous about it at all. The most important thing is the basketball court, and that’s why I’m focusing on that today.”
Orlando has already made waves this offseason, trading for power forward Serge Ibaka and shooting guard Jodie Meeks. The Magic have approximately $37 million to spend in free agency and that money doesn’t include the massive raise expected to be given to Fournier following a season where he averaged a career-best 15.4 points per game while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range.
GM Rob Hennigan has been adamant that the Magic will retain Fournier regardless of the interest that he attracts from other teams because of his unique skill set, work ethic and fit with the squad. Orlando dealt standout guard Victor Oladipo for Ibaka, in part, because of their strong belief in Fournier’s future.
In June of 2014, Orlando traded its leading scorer at the time, Arron Afflalo, to Denver for a raw, 21-year-old Fournier. The guard has affirmed that belief in him by posting career-best numbers each of the past two seasons. Now, Fournier said it is comforting to hear that the Magic definitely want him back for next season.
“That means more to me than just money,” Fournier admitted. “Any team can come for you because they are desperate and just throw money at you, but that consideration (from the Magic) is even more valuable to me.”
Fournier was delighted that the Magic boldly traded for Ibaka, someone who will give the team the shot-blocker and stretch-forward that it has lacked in recent years. Fournier said once his deal is locked up with the Magic in the coming days he’ll happily use his connections around the NBA to help recruit other free agents to Orlando.
“I’m definitely talking to some guys and I’m very happy about the way that the team is going,” Fournier said. “I think we are going in the right direction. If I can talk to the some of the guys that I know and be of a help to the team, I’ll definitely do it.”
