When the Milwaukee Bucks drafted combo forward Jabari Parker second overall in 2014, he was expected to be a key piece of their core. Two ACL injuries later, Parker’s future in Milwaukee is murky at best. He reportedly clashed with head coach Jason Kidd, and is a slightly awkward fit with franchise centerpiece Giannis Antetokounmpo. Even Parker is unsure of his future with the Bucks, he told Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post:
“Honestly, it’s uncertain,” Parker said after a recent practice, in regards to his future in Milwaukee and his restricted free agency this summer. “I know that, just looking from afar, [the Bucks] will be fine.
“But I just have to see what’s going to happen with my future, and that’s uncertain. But I know for them, they’ll be fine regardless. They’ve been doing well.”
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“You just have to be prepared,” he said. “Prepare for the worst.
“Anything can happen. I’ve seen it happen a lot of times. So I just would like to keep that mentality because you never want to be comfortable in this business.”
Gery Woelful of the Racine Journal Times recently noted that the Bucks were “very, very close” to trading Parker at this year’s trade deadline. Woelful added that he believes there is a “slim-to-none chance” that Parker will be a Buck past this season.
Parker has a qualifying offer worth around $8.9 million this summer, one that he will likely turn down. The Bucks made Parker an extension offer for three years and approximately $54 million this summer, and Parker’s camp turned that down.
Parker’s value has taken a major hit from the two ACL surgeries, but he’s played well when healthy, and continually displays flashes of star potential. The most recent flash came on Sunday, when Parker scored 35 points and snared 10 rebounds in 39 minutes. Those marks were all by far his highest of the season.
Parker’s minute load has plummeted this season, causing his per-game numbers to slip dramatically. Make no mistake, though, Parker has been great when he has played. He’s shooting 48.8 percent from the field and a career-high 38.5 percent from 3-point range.
