Should the Chicago Bulls pursue Jabari Parker in free agency?
With free agency approaching, should the Chicago Bulls go after Milwaukee Bucks restricted free agent wing Jabari Parker?
Following a 2017-2018 campaign that saw the Chicago Bulls finish 27-55, the upcoming NBA draft and free agency are creeping up. It is now time for Gar Forman and John Paxson to begin evaluating all options to keep this rebuild in the best shape it can possibly be in.
The first step is drafting well at no. 7, but the next step is making solid free agent signings that will compliment this young team. The upcoming free agency pool is pretty stacked, but an intriguing player worth giving a chance is Chicago’s very own Jabari Parker.
Back to His Roots
The legend of young Parker began when he made his name known while dominating Chicago high school hoops. His high level play granted him the ultimate honor in all of Chicago’s high school sports: wearing no. 25 for Simeon, the alma-mater of the slain Chicago basketball icon, Ben Wilson. It was on this stage where Jabari separated himself as the leading man in the new wave of Chicago athletes, most notably his fellow Duke Blue Devil, Jahlil Okafor.
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The Curious Case of Jabari’s Free Agency
This summer, Parker will enter free agency for the first time in his career. Although he will have the freedom to entertain any offer, the Milwaukee Bucks will make the final decision on if he will remain in the Cream City or not.
Because Parker is a restricted free agent, the Bucks can match any offer that is thrown his way. As a result, teams might have to overpay for Jabari and make an offer that Milwaukee does not want to match. While Parker will most likely not receive max money, teams interested in him will have to be willing to up their offers in order to persuade Milwaukee into letting him go.
Jabari’s Career So Far
Had it not been for two ACL tears this early on in his career, it’s not farfetched to say that Parker could have been one of the 5 best players due for a new contract this year. Even through the injuries, Jabari has still been able to produce and show flashes of the potential he was heralded for when he was selected no. 2 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft.
He has been a steady and consistent player, averaging 15 points, 5 rebounds, and shooting 49 percent so far in his young career. However, it was in the 2016-2017 season where we saw Parker put on an all-star worthy campaign, averaging 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal while shooting 36 percent from distance and 49 percent from the field.
Unfortunately, Parker re-tore the same ACL he tore in his rookie season just 51 games into the year and had to watch the Bucks enter the playoffs without him. While Parker has shown great flashes in his young career, he has now had two major knee surgeries and that will always be a red flag that shows up during potential contract negotiations.
Parker’s Potential Fit with the Bulls
While Parker has never been considered a great or even good defender, he has always shown ability on the offensive end, having the knack to get to the basket and drill shots off the catch in Milwaukee.
Plug him into Fred Hoiberg’s high-tempo, 3-point shooting offense and Parker could flourish as a hybrid 3-4. Although Parker is not heralded for his defense, he can be a good enough team-defender to still remain effective.
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While the Bulls’ man priority in free agency should be to sign solid 2-way players to compliment this young core, it wouldn’t hurt to go after some star players as well. While Parker may not be a star just yet, he would surely be an interesting addition to this growing Bulls squad.