By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
As France faces Italy in the Olympic tournament quarterfinals in Tokyo on Tuesday (Monday night in the US), this year’s NBA free agency tips off, as teams and players will begin negotiating contracts.
And while Les Bleus will be fighting for a spot in the Tokyo Olympics semifinals, both Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum will have to decide about their future at this peculiar timing.
“It’s so unfortunate that I’m going to have to give an answer on the day of the quarterfinal,” said Fournier, who spent the previous season with the Boston Celtics (via Associated Press) and could earn the biggest deal of his career this summer.
“Hopefully, teams are going to be nice and they can understand that I don’t want to rush anything and at least I can wait until after the game.” Fournier currently leads the French selection with 17.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2 assists in its perfect 3-0 streak.
In the meantime, Batum is also on the lookout for his next NBA contract, though his focus is currently in Tokyo, as he mentioned. “It’s not easy, I mean, from the outside, but for me it’s pretty easy,” he said. “I know where I have to focus on.”
Photo: FIBA