The Orlando Magic will face a decision on Evan Fournier this summer or sooner. A new report says Evan Fournier sought more than $10 million per year.
Evan Fournier has come back to earth some after his hot start to the season that has him starting over Victor Oladipo. Despite that, Fournier is still the Orlando Magic’s leading scorer and someone the team has come to rely on for spacing and shooting in addition to his ability to work in the pick and roll.
The question of what to do with Evan Fournier this offseason as he enters restrict free agency burned even during the preseason when the Magic were negotiating an extension with the Magic combo forward.
It appears the Magic and Fournier may have been a big further apart then expected as both sides seemed prepared and willing to let the season play out.
Zach Lowe of ESPN.com reports Fournier was seeking a contract extension worth more than $10 million per year in the contract negotiations:
"Fournier’s agents asked for big money in extension talks — well north of $10 million per season, sources say — but the Magic may end up regretting their decision to let him go into restricted free agency."
It was previously reported the Magic had offered a deal starting at $8 million per year in the negotiations. So there was quite a considerable gap.
Fournier has been relatively open about his feelings regarding an extension. During exit interviews at the end of the 2015 season, Fournier quipped only star players get extensions. It did not seem even entering this season in the preseason he was expecting to get a deal done.
It appeared like with Tobias Harris, the Magic were prepared to let the season play out and see what kind of value he could get in restricted free agency.
Only, the Magic probably did not expect Fournier to come out of the gates on fire and lead the team in scoring.
Fournier is averaging 15.5 points per game on a 52.3 percent effective field goal percentage. He has become one of the Magic’s most effective offensive weapons this season.
Fournier’s season can be largely split in two though. In the 14 games before the Magic made their lineup change, Fournier averaged 18.8 points per game with a 54.5 percent effective field goal percentage. But since the lineup change (the last eight games), Fournier is averaging 9.9 points per game with a 45.8 percent effective field goal percentage.
This is part of the narrative on Fournier. He has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career and has had long periods of good play followed by long periods of inconsistent play. It appears Fournier is in one of those inconsistent periods again since the lineup change.
But no one is arguing with the results as the Magic are 6-2.
Fournier’s ultimate value now in the open market is not going to get determined until he actually hits the market at the end of the season. Every team will have that bit of market research in determining what offer sheet to extend.
It is important to remember though, no matter the contract or the price Fournier ultimately fetches, the Magic will have the right to match the offer and retain Fournier. The negotiations could end up going the same way Tobias Harris did, coming to an agreement for a new deal after the player tests the market.
Or Fournier could become a potential trade chip at the trade deadline should the Magic decide he has exceeded how much they are willing to play in the summer.
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It will all have to play out in the course of the season with how Fournier plays the rest of the way.