Many around the league speculate the relationship between Mark Cuban and Chandler Parsons has deteriorated after this summer.
When free agency began, Parsons, firmly believing he was worth a max contract, decided he would only return to Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks if he was paid the maximum salary. Cuban had other plans, clearly not siding with Parsons in believing his worth was that high.
In the end, Dallas was unwilling to meet his demands, leading to Parsons signing a multi-year deal with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Appearing on 105.3-FM The Fan’s Ben and Skin Show (h/t SportsDayDFW), Cuban insisted there was no love lost and how his relationship with Parsons was not affected by what had transpired earlier in the month.
“I’m still good friends with Chandler”, Cuban said. “We talked about it after he signed with Memphis. We exchanged texts and stayed friends and committed to stay friends. I like him a lot but there were other things other than basketball that went into the decision. And Chandler was aware of them and he made his decision. We gave him some options and he went in a different direction. That was his choice and I respect it and again, I think he’s a great guy and I hope he has a great season other than the four games we play him.”
Parsons, 27, averaged 13.7 points in 29.5 minutes per contest with Dallas last season, the lowest since his rookie year. Dealing with a series of injuries during his time with Dallas, Parsons winded up missing a total of 37 games across two seasons, partially affecting his efficiency and playing time.
For Cuban and the Mavericks, they acted quickly in finding a replacement for Parsons. Once Kevin Durant announced his decision to join the Warriors, Dallas swept in and signed Harrison Barnes to a four-year, $94 million offer sheet.
Mark Cuban lost out on another player over the summer of 2015, DeAndre Jordan. While their relationship is thought to be nowhere near ‘good’, the relationship between Cuban and Chandler Parsons remains intact to this day, Cuban insists.
