Olympiacos guard Evan Fournier believes the EuroLeague should implement a Free Agency opening date to prevent teams from negotiating with players while the season is still in progress.
EuroLeague teams often build a significant portion of their rosters while the current season is still underway, reaching verbal agreements with players and then making those deals official once the season concludes.
Free throws this season
Olympiacos Piraeus
EuroLeague
This practice regularly sparks controversy. For instance, Olympiacos Piraeus guard Nigel Williams-Goss was widely reported to have already reached an agreement with Zalgiris for the upcoming season—even as Olympiacos was preparing to compete in the EuroLeague Final Four.
The media frenzy surrounding the off-court news created a distraction for both the player and the team.
One of this year’s standout EuroLeague players, Olympiacos guard Evan Fournier, took to social media to suggest a solution to the issue.
Fournier believes the EuroLeague should adopt a Free Agency opening date, similar to the system used in the NBA, to prevent teams from negotiating with players before the season officially ends.
"Having a Free Agency date opening would benefit everyone. Players and teams. Wait until everyone’s season is over and lets get to business," Fournier wrote on X.
In the NBA this season, for example, free agent negotiations with players not on your own team can begin on June 30th, while the official start of free agency, when players can sign contracts with teams, begins on July 6th.
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