A new report says the Orlando Magic and Evan Fournier had had some discussions about a possible contract extension before next season.
Two major extensions from the 2012 NBA Draft class have been inked in the last week with Jonas Valanciunas and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist securing contract extensions.
All the first round picks from this Draft class — including for the Magic Andrew Nicholson and Evan Fournier — will have a decision to make before the Oct. 31 deadline as training camps draw near.
For Orlando, specifically, there will be a decision to be made on Evan Fournier. At least for now, it appears discussions have been had to have Fournier in a Magic uniform long term.
"Sources close to the process say it is possible that Fournier and the Magic reach a deal before the end of training camp. Both sides seem to be talking the same kinds of valuation, the question is will Fournier take his money now or follow in the footsteps of teammate Tobias Harris and see if the market can push him higher than the Magic’s valuation? There is a sense this one could get done, but with a ballooning cap and a crowd developing around Fournier’s position, it’s possible Fournier waits out the season and ensures his value and role make sense going forward."
There are definitely some who might wonder whether Fournier is worth wrapping up long term. He has played only one injury-marred season with the Magic and projects as nothing more than a reserve player.
However, there is definite merit in trying to keep Fournier.
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As a young player with some very defined skills — mostly his shooting ability and ability to drive and make plays off the dribble — Fournier has tons of value. And in an open market, a player like that can get overpaid.
Then you consider the way the salary cap rose and is expected to rise again, it might make more financial sense to keep Fournier and extend him before the season rather than wait to see what he could get in the open market as a restricted free agent.
There is some definite cap calculus going on by both Fournier and the Magic here.
Certainly, extending Fournier carries some risk. He has not really proven himself as a member of a rotation for a NBA team. He certainly has potential to continue growing and projects as an important part of this year’s Magic team off the bench.
But how much will you pay for a guy coming off the bench? How much do you pay for someone so unproven?
Undoubtedly the rising cap plays a role here. It will undoubtedly be cheaper to sign Fournier now than to sign him later. And, for the Magic, keeping a young player as a trade asset is extremely valuable. An extension now, even if it is a bit of an overpay, makes too much sense.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out (and I will have more thoughts on this shortly). Certainly a deal could be reached before the Oct. 31 deadline. Or the two sides could agree to see how the season plays out and head to restricted free agency.