Evan Fournier ‘Held Hostage’ in New York as Knicks Training Camp Looms

Getty Evan Fournier of the New York Knicks walks off the court after the loss to the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden.

Evan Fournier said he felt he’s being held hostage in New York amid his clamor to the Knicks‘ front office for a trade that could give him playing time.

“I’m still in New York at the moment,” Fournier said in an interview with Isabelle Lange of French radio station RTL. “I want to leave. But beyond leaving, I want to have the opportunity to get some playing time back. That’s all. That’s mostly it. Because in New York, I feel extremely good. I love living there, I love the franchise, I love playing at Madison [Square Garden], I love the guys on the team.

“So I just want to play, that’s all. It’s true that finding another club, changing franchises, if that’s what you have to do to play again, that’s what I would like to do.”

Fournier’s future could come to focus on the Knicks’ Media Day on Monday before they depart for the Lowcountry for their first out-of-town training camp since the Phil Jackson era.

The Knicks will hold their training camp in Charleston, South Carolina from October 3 to 7 at The Citadel’s McAlister FieldHouse, according to The Post and Courier.

Fournier felt his NBA career had been shot after his demotion from the starting unit to the end of the bench last season. And he’s hoping against hope that things will change.

“If I knew, for example, that the coach was going to give me 10-15 minutes here and there, I know that I could make the most of it and grab minutes gradually and perform well,” Fournier said. “But that’s not even the case. I don’t have the opportunity to play and even worse, I feel like I’m being held hostage. I hope this situation will resolve itself and I especially hope that the Knicks will give me a chance.”

No Feasible Trade

The Knicks found no takers for Fournier this offseason. They would have to attach a draft pick to realize Fournier’s wishes, which the Knicks’ front office does not want to consent to. While he appears to be an $18.8 million burden, the Knicks value his basically expiring contract (with $19 million team option) as a salary ballast in a potential star trade.

So the 30-year-old French guard, who broke the Knicks franchise record in most 3s for a single season two seasons ago, is stuck in New York without a clear picture of his future.

Wolves Sign Knicks’ Former 2nd Round Pick

The Knicks have let go of Trevor Keels, Leon Rose’s last draft selection.

On September 25, the Westchester Knicks traded Keels to Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s G League affiliate, for the returning player rights to Matt Lewis and a 2024 first-round pick.

Three days later, the Timberwolves announced they had signed Keels, along with Tyrese Martin and Daishen Nix, to a training camp deal and Matt Ryan to a two-way contract. Keels will compete for a roster spot in the Timberwolves’ backcourt with only Anthony Edwards, Mike Conley, Jordan McLoughlin and free agent pickup Shake Milton as shoo-ins.

Keels, 6-4, was the Knicks’ 42nd overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The former one-and-done Duke star was the latest Knicks draft selection, as they did not have any pick this year.