Milwaukee Bucks’ forward Jabari Parker appears he will be on the open market come next July. The Bucks and Parker failed to reach an agreement before Monday night’s signing deadline according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Becasue of this, he will be a restricted free agent next summer. Milwaukee will still be able to match any offer Parker receives from other teams.
Jabari Parker and Milwaukee Bucks ended talks, no deal. He'll enter restricted free agency in July, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 16, 2017
After an injury-riddled start to his career, Jabari Parker will be a very interesting case in free agency. He tore his ACL back in 2014 and again most recently in February. Parker is supposed to be a cornerstone player for Milwuakee, but he has become an afterthought. The Bucks have a plethora of young talent all over the court with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kris Middleton, and Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon.
This is not to say the Bucks are better off not having Parker on the court alongside all of the aforementioned players, but the cost is the issue. After two significant knee injuries there is certainly skepticism by the Bucks’ front office that Parker can return to his normal self with regular mobility. As recently as September, he said he is hoping to get a five-year max contract, something not too many teams would be willing to risk. Should the knee injuries really hamper Parker’s ability on the court, a five-year max could be crippling.
The Bucks will essentially get a free preview of Parker’s abilities when he returns to the court this season. If all goes well and he contributes at a high-level, Milwaukee has reason to sign him or at least match what other teams offer. He says he feels great after surgery and offseason conditioning, so there is certainly hope he comes back healthy. When that is exactly is yet to be set in stone, but a post-All Star break has been the rumor.
