The Chicago Bulls traded Jabari Parker to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, and Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine doesn't believe the Chicago native got a fair shot to succeed in his hometown.
The Bulls signed Parker to a two-year, $20 million deal in free agency last summer, with the second year of the contract being a team option. After Chicago fired Fred Hoiberg in December and promoted Jim Boylen to head coach, Parker's role with the team changed entirely.
Jabari Parker was placed out of the rotation. He was a healthy inactive for multiple games and put on the trade block in late December.
Zach LaVine says it's unfortunate Parker wasn't able to shine in his hometown and that the swingman didn't get “the fair end of the stick on that one.”
Zach LaVine on Jabari Parker: "It sucks he didn’t get the way he wanted to come here, Chicago kid. I don’t think he got the fair end of the stick on that one. "
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 7, 2019
Jabari Parker played in 39 games with the Bulls. The 23-year-old averaged 14.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 47.4 percent from the field, 32.5 percent from beyond the arc and 73.1 percent from the free-throw line.
Parker's conditioning and poor defensive skills were the main reasons Boylen stopped playing him. But Chicago is one of the worst offensive teams in the NBA and Parker is a proven scorer, so LaVine believes the former No. 2 overall pick should have received more playing time to showcase his skills.
Follow Us
Subscribe