Toronto Raptors: 3 worst free agency blunders by Atlantic rivals
By Mike Luciano
![NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 11: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors in action against Nerlens Noel #3 and Alec Burks #18 of the New York Knicks (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 11: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors in action against Nerlens Noel #3 and Alec Burks #18 of the New York Knicks (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/b2f63ed4d69550db7be7d38031959754c7a501cb1d67a7c804b896e722686db7.jpg)
2. New York Knicks: Going overboard to sign Evan Fournier
Let’s get this out of the way. Fournier is a fantastic shooting guard. He was one of the more underrated players in the league by virtue of playing on some bad Orlando teams, then he had to play second fiddle to Nikola Vucevic when the Magic got good. This new deal, however, could force him into overrated territory.
Fournier signed a deal that could be as long as four years, and it could pay him up to $78 million. Having Fournier is a nice option, but signing him to a long-term contract at almost $20 million per year might note the best bit of business, especially considering how he slightly underperformed during his Boston tenure.
Free agent Evan Fournier has agreed to a four-year deal that could be worth as much as $78M with the New York Knicks, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 3, 2021
Evan Fournier cost too much money for the Knicks.
Julius Randle and RJ Barrett look like the offensive future of this team, and the addition of Kemba Walker as the starting point guard makes Fournier the fourth option on a team that was dead last in pace last year. If New York expects him to score as he did in Orlando, that is wishful thinking.
The Knicks and Celtics might look better than the Toronto Raptors on paper right now, but one little slip could be enough for the Raps to overtake them. If the Knicks regress to the middle of the pack, fans will likely take aim at the Fournier contract, and with good reason.