Jabari Parker will be Restricted Free Agent at the Milwaukee Bucks next summer. According to insider Gery Woelfel, however, it is very likely that he will not stay in the beer city beyond the summer.
Woelfel, who works as a reporter for the Racine Journal Times and is considered well connected to Parker, said on Wednesday on the radio show 105.7FMTheFan that Parker was “very, very close to a trade” as part of the February trade deadline, and that the chances of remaining in the summer were “small to non-existent”.
There is a dispute between the Bucks and Parker, Woelfel said, originating in Parker’s treatment by ex-coach Jason Kidd. Kidd was replaced by Joe Prunty in January, but the waves are still not smooth.
The Bucks had failed before the season in an attempt to extend with Parker prematurely. According to ESPN insider Zach Lowe, the game lasted three years and cost around 54 million dollars, which was not enough for Parker – the former No.2 pick sees itself as a Max player. The Bucks saw this differently, especially in view of the already second cruciate ligament rupture of the 23-year-old.
Now he goes into the summer as a Restricted Free Agent, so the Bucks could go along with any offer, although according to Woelfel this is not likely if a team offers him a lot of money. The team will continue to be built around superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Parker only managed 19 games this season, each time coming from the bank. He has averaged 11.4 points since his comeback.