Chicago Bulls: Should the team buyout Jabari Parker and move on?
After their failed experiment, is it time for the Chicago Bulls to move on from Jabari Parker?
When Jabari Parker was signed by the Chicago Bulls during the offseason, the hope was that he would consistently be the player that he flashed during his time with the Milwaukee Bucks.
However, roughly two months into the experiment, it’s safe to say that it hasn’t worked out. And it’s not just observers from the outside or clueless fans (like myself) saying these things. It’s not coming from inside that organization.
According to a recent report, Parker will not see regular minutes moving forward. In other words, he has fallen out of the rotation. The fact that Parker can’t find minutes on a 6-23 team is bad. Very bad.
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"[via ESPN]Coach Jim Boylen said after the game that the decision was matchup-based, but sources told ESPN earlier Thursday that Parker won’t see regular minutes going forward."
No matter what the case is here, this is not a great look on the part of Parker. Parker signed a two-year, $40 million (with a team option for the second year) during free agency. He was expected to come in and be one of the better players on this roster, leading this young team.
However, that simply hasn’t happened. Parker is averaging 15 points and seven rebounds per game, but is shooting a career worst 45 percent from the field and 29 percent from 3-point range.
Furthermore, he’s ranked 439th in the NBA in Real Plus-Minus (-4.17). He’s almost unplayable because of his lackluster defense and he’s really had an negative impact on the Bulls this year. Had his name not been attached to that big contract that he signed during the offseason, he probably would’ve been benched sooner.
There’s no question that Parker is talented, but is it time for the Bulls to move on? They took the chance and it clearly hasn’t worked. Should they cut their losses, and try to trade or even buyout his contract?
As we get closer and closer to the NBA Trade Deadline, and assuming he is still out of the rotation, these whispers are only going to grow more and more. NBA teams don’t generally admit mistakes this early in the experiment, however. That’s what will be the biggest issue here.
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Can the Chicago Bulls admit their mistake and simply try to make the best of it? We’re about to find out real soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Jabari Parker on a new team sooner rather than later.