Report: Evan Fournier Will Exercise $17M Magic Contract Option

Evan Fournier is exercising his $17 million player option to remain with the Orlando Magic for 2020-21, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Fournier is coming off the best year of his career. He averaged 18.5 points and 3.2 assists while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from beyond the arc. His 4.6 win shares were second on the team behind Nikola Vucevic, per Basketball Reference.

An elbow injury took him out of the lineup for three games before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NBA to suspend the regular season. He was back for the seeding games and helped the Magic secure the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Fournier and Orlando were both overmatched against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and lost in five games.

Especially given the general lack of depth in this year's free-agent class, the 28-year-old opting out of his deal would have probably been the likelier outcome under normal circumstances. Even if Fournier didn't get an annual salary to match what he would have earned otherwise, he could have received a bigger long-term payout.

Harrison Barnes made the same tradeoff last offseason when he declined a $25.1 million player option and then signed a four-year, $85 million contract to stay with the Sacramento Kings.

That was before the pandemic wreaked havoc on the finances of the NBA and every other major sports league. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the salary cap will remain set at $109.1 million.

Players in Fournier's position had a strong incentive to take the sure thing and trigger their options rather than risk winding up with less money in free agency.

The downside is that the 2021 free-agent class could include LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, Bradley Beal, Rudy Gobert and Victor Oladipo.

The effects from the pandemic might last well beyond this offseason, especially if empty arenas remain in play for 2020-21. That would put the squeeze on veterans such as Fournier, who have obvious value but won't break into the max-level bracket.

But the Frenchman will cross that bridge when it comes.

His decision guarantees the Magic's core remains intact, so another playoff challenge should be in store for Orlando.