As training camp approaches for all NBA teams, it doesn’t seem like Evan Fournier is going to be moved before players report.
Fournier, speaking on French radio station RTL, via the New York Post, is not happy with his current situation, going as far to say that he feels like he is being “held hostage” in New York.
“I don’t have the opportunity to play and even worse, I feel like I’m being held hostage,” Fournier said. “I hope this situation will resolve itself and I especially hope that the Knicks will give me a chance.”
Fournier was exiled from the Knicks rotation in November of last year, and the team’s performance quickly improved, tallying one of the best net ratings in the NBA the rest of the way. He appeared in just 27 games and made seven starts, shooting just 30.7 percent from downtown in what was the second year of a four-year, $73 million contract.
The Knicks are in no rush to trade Fournier, as expiring contracts are valuable when it comes to trades, and New York continues to wait until the right time to make a blockbuster trade for a star. So, in all likelihood, Fournier will continue to ride the bench.
“I’m still in New York at the moment. I want to leave,” Fournier said. “But beyond leaving, I want to have the opportunity to get some playing time back. That’s all. That’s mostly it. Because in New York, I feel extremely good. I love living there, I love the franchise, I love playing at Madison [Square Garden], I love the guys on the team.”