CHARLESTON, S.C. — A “crazy” Evan Fournier wants to be more than a trade chip.
The Frenchman said he reported to camp not only as an obligation of his contract, but also with the hope — no matter how far-fetched — that he’ll re-emerge in coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.
“I might be dreaming of stuff, but to me, I can help the team. Like I’m a good player. I can f—ing play,” Fournier said. “I bring stuff that this team doesn’t have, too. So, I have hope to play, to be honest. I have hope to play. Maybe I’m crazy, I don’t know. Maybe Thibs has already made up his mind and stuff, but my goal is to put him in a position where he has to think about playing me.”
It’s indeed a long shot on a roster overflowing with guards, including newcomer Donte DiVincenzo.
The likely scenario is Fournier remaining on the bench until a trade or the February deadline — whichever comes first.
But Fournier, who was open about his anger with a nonexistent role, said Saturday that he never contemplated a holdout.
That strategy was employed last season by Jae Crowder, who sat out for months until he was traded from the Suns to the Bucks.
During the 2021-22 campaign, the Knicks allowed Kemba Walker to leave the team until his contract was bought out.
“You know I’ve never liked guys — I don’t want to call him out, but what Jae Crowder did last year, that’s not the smart approach,” Fournier said Saturday. “When you’re under contract, you have to honor your contract. You build chemistry with guys. You’re trying to just stay with the team, man, and what’s better: to work with the team or work on your own? I’m not so sure that’s the smart approach.”
Although Fournier reported willingly to camp, the 30-year-old guard didn’t think he’d be back with Thibodeau.
The expectation and hope was an offseason trade, which Fournier repeated in multiple offseason interviews.
In a story with French outlet L’Equipe, Fournier even said he felt like “spitting on everyone” while collecting DNPs last season.
On Saturday, Fournier said much of the article was lost in translation.
“You say spit at people but it’s not the literal translation,” Fournier said. “It’s basically saying you want to tell everyone ‘f–k off’ because you’re so upset, you don’t want to talk to anyone. I’m not gonna walk in the gym and spit on people. Come on, man.”
Thibodeau dismissed Fournier’s discontent on media day, citing the team’s strong record at the end of last season as proof the benching worked.
On Saturday — the final day of camp at Charleston — the coach was more diplomatic.
“He’s a true pro,” Thibodeau said. “So he came in just doing all the things he should do.”
Despite attempts to work out a trade, the Knicks kept Fournier because of the value attached to his $19 million expiring contract. Until the Feb. 8 trade deadline, team president Leon Rose can use the 3-point specialist as a way to match salaries for a star player.
The Knicks are monitoring three targets, in particular, a source said: Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell.
Of those three, the most feasible in-season deal would be for Towns.
Fournier, meanwhile, is living up to his contract with two conflicting emotions: hope for playing time and the reality of frustration when it doesn’t come.
“So I mean that’s just the natural feeling. Of course as a competitor, as a guy that wants to play, compete, win, do all that of course when you don’t play, you feel a type of way,” Fournier said. “But that never changed how I behaved on a daily basis. My approach with guys, teammates, how I practiced and stuff. If some people are surprised by me being upset about not playing, I don’t know what to say.”
