Evan Fournier is Excellent Value for the Philadelphia 76ers

Evan Fournier was, at times, the Orlando Magic’s best shooting guard last season, and the 76ers should take notice heading into free agency.

The Philadelphia 76ers are heading into what could be their most hectic free agency period in years, as they have a hefty load of cap space and a president in Bryan Colangelo that is seemingly more than willing to spend it.

Coming off of a 10-72 season, the Sixers are going to have a tough time persuading free agents to make the move to Philly without overpaying to an extent, which means they need to be highly selective in terms of the free agents they chase when gauging their overall value. One player who comes to mind is Evan Fournier, who provides a perimeter scorer prowess that they likely won’t be able to find elsewhere for the same value.

The Orlando wing broke out last season in a sense, garnering starting minutes at times in place of a struggling Victor Oladipo and providing an offensive spark that was largely underrated by the mass media. He piled up15 points per contest in a role wavering between starting and sixth man, but showcased his ability to be a legitimate 20-point threat on any given night, something the offensively-challenged Sixers could certainly utilize.

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The 76ers are deprived of shooting, and that’s an area of his game in which Fournier excels. He shot 40 percent from the 3-point zone last season while creating far more shots off of the dribble and pushing the pace as a go-to option far more than he ever has in previous seasons. He can run off of screens and shoot off the catch or create space himself and operate in a more isolated manner.

Fournier can work off of Simmons while still retaining the ability to fill it up on his own as a viable scoring alternative to Philadelphia’s frontcourt logjam, something that could be highly appealing to Brett Brown rotationally.

Defensively, he’s nothing spectacular, but he forced over a steal per game and has the quickness to hold his own off of switches and cover either guard spot without becoming a liability. He’s a skilled perimeter scorer of a caliber that the Sixers haven’t seen the past few seasons, and given his likely price tag, is someone they should be undeniably interested in signing.

In addition to his clear on-court benefits, Fournier is still just 23 years of age. He’s a young prospect who is still figuring out new methods of being effective and could certainly continue his development alongside a younger core like the Sixers. Brett Brown and company have proven themselves as masterminds when it comes to maximizing the production out of the players they do have on the roster, and a skilled outside scoring threat with a consistent role could be a valuable asset worth gambling on.

Fournier is a better player than Dion Waiters and would potentially come at a lesser price, while providing a much more willing team player and somebody who could operate off of Simmons just as well.

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Logistically, the Sixers will likely need to pay a sizable amount to pry him away from Orlando considering their ability to match any offer sheet. However, if Philly is fishing in the $10-15 million range for a shooting guard to accompany their current core, jumping on Fournier is without question the more appealing option, even if the price stretches slightly beyond that due to Fournier’s exceptional fit from a long term perspective.