Sources say point guard Mike Conley also wants Parsons in Memphis if Conley re-signs with the Grizzlies.
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The divorce comes after the Mavs made it clear that they had no intention of offering a max contract to Parsons, whose two seasons in Dallas both ended prematurely because of surgeries on his right knee. Even with the injury concerns surrounding Parsons-and make no mistake, there are certainly injury concerns-Parsons is the first big-name free agent (who wasn’t already in Memphis) ever to choose the Grizzlies, unless you count Darko Milicic, which I do but no one else does.
Miami’s Hassan Whiteside is expected to be among the top targets for Dallas, along with Memphis point guard Mike Conley.
Parsons averaged 13.7 points last season for the Dallas Mavericks but struggled with injuries.
Fellow Florida Gator Bradley Beal also signed a new contract, as he agreed to a five-year $128 million deal to stay with the Washington Wizards.
Jason Quick of CSNNW.com first reported the possibility that Howard may follow Parsons to Portland. Conley’s contract dwarfs that of bigger National Basketball Association stars like Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook, but he means a lot to the Grizzlies organization.
But Memphis pursued Parsons aggressively, hoping his addition would help mainstays Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and presumably Conley get a breath of fresh air.
We all knew this salary cap spike and the free agency market was going to be great for the players with owners throwing cash around, but some of these contracts getting offered are extremely good for the players. Although Parker could potentially move to the bench, it still seems like a significant roster jam. While some suggested that the Spurs should sign-and-trade Conley for Parker, it’s not a very Spursian move to ship away a player who has been synonymous with their franchise for years. It came with a player option at the end of 2015-2016, which he chose to decline, making him an unrestricted free agent this July. The address goes to show how large of a role sentimentality and comfort play in a players’ decision during free agency, no matter what other teams can offer.
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The 27-year-old forward also met with the Portland Trail Blazers when free agency began and he also had a max offer on the table from them.
