Olympics to Olympiacos: French guard leaves NBA for Europe

Fournier, the free-agent guard who split last season between the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons, played well during France’s Olympic run, averaging just under 10 points per game and hitting some big shots. But that surge came too late to help his NBA chances, as most rosters were pretty much aet by August.

Fournier was a victim of his own financial success in his last two NBA seasons. He signed a three-year contract for $54M with the New York Knicks in 2021 but was out of head coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation by early in his second season. However, Fournier’s big contract was still valuable as a trade asset, so he spent over a full season sitting on the Knicks bench, playing only 30 games for them from 2022-24.

Once the Knicks traded Fournier to the Pistons at February’s trade deadline, it was a little late to rebuild his value. Especially on the Pistons, one of the NBA’s worst teams last season. Fournier averaged only seven points and shot 27 percent from three-point range for the Pistons, who had a remarkably poor roster last season. Multiple players averaged over 18 minutes per game for the Pistons last year who are no longer in the NBA at all.

Now Fournier is returning to Europe, where he began his professional career in the French Pro League from 2009-12. He’ll be playing in Piraeus, Greece, home of Olympiacos, who won the Greek Cup last season and made the EuroLeague Final Four.

Fournier isn’t the only NBA player jumping ship to the Greek powerhouse. Sasha Vezenkov is returning to his old team after a failed one-year move to the Sacramento Kings. Vezenkov went from winning EuroLeague MVP to barely getting off the bench for the Kings. In other words, he and Fournier will have a lot to talk about.

Ultimately, Fournier is probably extending his pro career by heading to Europe, especially since he’d likely face an NBA future of veterans minimum contracts and little job security. With Venkekov returning as well, Fournier also has a better chance at winning a title than he would anywhere in the NBA.

A domestic door shut, and an international door opened for Fournier. Besides, how can a team named Olympiacos turn down a hero of the Olympics?