The Dallas Mavericks plan on prioritizing Chandler Parsons in free agency over the likes of Harrison Barnes and Nicolas Batum, sources told Mike Fisher of DallasBasketball.com:
I’m told they will not prioritize Barnes because they don’t think he’s superior to Chandler Parsons. (An important note here: I was told this BEFORE these NBA Finals, during which much of the basketball world probably shares Dallas’ shrinking opinion of the struggling Barnes.)
And I’m told they will not prioritize Nic Batum because his skill set too closely replicates what CP gives them … and they’d prefer to add a “different’’ sort of player than Parsons than Parsons Redux. (Which in a sense applies to Barnes, too.)
Parsons, 27, is expected to decline his player option for the 2016-’17 season and become a free agent, as previously reported. This past season, Parsons averaged 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game in 61 appearances with Dallas. Despite the career-worst averages in points and minutes per game, Parsons shot an efficient 49% from the field and 41% from behind the arc, by far career-bests.
The Mavericks, who also are reportedly warming up to the idea of pursuing Hassan Whiteside, are wise to focus on Chandler Parsons. Aside from being a good Basketball player, Parsons is a very well respected figure in this league that can help lure free agents to Dallas in the future. Despite narrowly striking out on persuading DeAndre Jordan to sign with the team last offseason, Parsons still intends on using his recruiting skills for whatever team he winds up on down the road.
“Yeah, for sure,” Parsons said last month when asked whether he wanted to play with his good friend Dwight Howard, a known target of the Mavericks, again (via ESPN). “I think he can still dominate the game. I think he can still be a great player in this league. And I think he’s going to leave Houston. So why not come here?”
The Mavericks’ chances at landing Dwight Howard would dramatically increase if they re-sign Chandler Parsons. The Chandler Parsons effect trickles to off-the-court aspects, as well. With the Hornets expected to immediately offer Nicolas Batum a max contract and the Warriors likely set to match any offers for Harrison Barnes, re-signing Chandler Parsons should be the Mavericks’ first move of free agency.
Chandler Parsons was selected #38 overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2011 NBA Draft. The last time he was a free agent in 2014, the Rockets opted not to match a three-year, $46 million offer sheet from Dallas. Parsons accepted the offer from Dallas and decided to leave the Rockets after three seasons with the team. Expect other teams besides Dallas to do their due-diligence on Parsons this July, just to test the waters on his true availability and thinking.
