Evan Fournier Chooses to Pursue Playing in Europe over Mentoring Young Wizards

After spending the majority of the last two seasons buried on the bench under Tom Thibodeau's coaching, Evan Fournier finally got his chance to shine during the Paris Olympics. Averaging an impressive 9.8 points per game for the silver medal-winning French team, Fournier proved that he was more than capable of being a key player on the court. With a newfound confidence and determination, he was determined to never go back to sitting on the sidelines in the NBA.

So he rejected a two-year offer from the Wizards to sign with EuroLeague power Olympiacos in Greece, Fournier told French sports publication L'Equipe, via Maxime Aubin (

hat tip Hoop Rumors

Evan Fournier said he was offered a 2 years contract with the Wizards in NBA, but he wasn’t interested in a “mentoring role” with the youngsters, “in a losing team”.

Added he wants to “compete” in Europe and “enjoy playing basketball again”.

Reported by @lequipe &…

— Maxime Aubin (@MaximeAubin1) September 4, 2024

Look at Fournier's welcome in Greece and you can see why he made the call.

.⁦@Olympiacos_BC⁩ ❤️‍ pic.twitter.com/EB8MQk23Nf

— Evan Fournier (@EvanFourmizz) September 4, 2024

The money as a top European player and the veteran minimum contract the Wizards offered should be similar, and if that's the case of course he chose getting on the court and playing for something meaningful. After a dozen years in the NBA, Fournier was ready for a change.

He's in a place where he gets to enjoy playing again. For an aging player, that matters a lot.