Ranking Leon Rose’s three best and worst moves as Knicks President

Worst Move #2: Signing Evan Fournier for four years $73 million

Fournier was brought in during free agency in 2021 after New York finished fourth in the East with a 41-31 record. While Julius Randle’s offensive prowess was enough for the Knicks to get by in the regular season, their lack of offensive talent surrounding Randle made them easy to stop in the playoffs.

With over $20 million in cap space, the Knicks aimed to add offensive firepower over the summer. Fournier, a career 38% three-point shooter who averaged 14 points per game across ten seasons, seemed like a perfect fit. New York’s front office agreed, signing the veteran sharpshooter to a four-year, $73 million deal.

While Fournier did match his career averages the following season, his overall field goal percentage dipped, and he was inconsistent on the offensive end. Not to speak of his defense, which was consistently terrible, making him a liability if he wasn’t knocking down every shot he took.

In 2022–23, Fournier played eight games as a starter before being moved to the bench and eventually out of the rotation in favor of younger players like Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley. While Fournier’s contract does include a team option from last season, meaning New York should be able to get him off the books next summer if he’s not traded beforehand, the contract was still a tremendous overpayment for what Fournier provided.