3. The French magic in Philadelphia won’t get a re-do from Evan Fournier
Nicolas Batum highly succeeded in his first — and potentially only —season with the 76ers, and his possible departure could have subtle, yet definitive effects for the team. After all, his low-usage utility on offense, spot-up shooting, and heady, switchy defense quickly fit right into Nick Nurse’ ethos.
What about replacing him with another Frenchman, you say? Well, unless it’s Victor Wembanyama, it’s probably going to be a hard no, especially if it’s Evan Fournier. The 31-year-old finished off the season with the Pistons after getting traded out of New York, but it’s unlikely that he’ll find a proactive suitor for his service this offseason.
The 12-year veteran has been a solid secondary to tertiary scorer for most of his career, but he’s simply become too inefficient to warrant another shot at a consistent role. Since falling out of favor with Tom Thibodeau, Fournier has become an unplayable cog, barely hitting with any efficiency from the perimeter while remaining an obvious hole defensively.