The New York Knicks have reportedly expressed interest in trading for Chicago Bulls forward Jabari Parker, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.
Parker is no longer in the Bulls' playing rotation, and his camp is reportedly working with Chicago's front office to find a trade:
The Knicks are among the teams who have expressed preliminary interest in trading for Chicago's Jabari Parker, per ESPN sources. It doesn't appear that anything is imminent at the moment.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) December 20, 2018
Parker signed a two-year, $40 million deal with his hometown Bulls in July after spending the first four years of his NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks. Parker's homecoming has been a disaster, though. While the former No. 2 overall pick is putting up decent offensive numbers, his defense has been atrocious, the main reason why he has fallen out of the rotation.
In 29 games this season, Parker is averaging 15.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field, 29.3 percent from beyond the arc and 72.4 percent from the free-throw line.
The second year of Parker's contract is a team option. With everything that has happened this season in Chicago, there's no chance he will be back with the Bulls next year, so they might as well see what they can get in return for Parker.
One would assume the Knicks would want to get off a big long-term contract like Tim Hardaway Jr. or Courtney Lee in a Jabari Parker trade. The Bulls would require an extra asset or two, though, and that may not be a fit. Both teams are in a rebuild.
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