3. Phoenix Suns
With plenty of money available, (roughly $78.4 million in commitments for next year, only seven teams with less in committed salary), and an offense that could use a boost across the board, the Suns and Parker look like a nice fit. Igor Kokoskov has been hired as the new head coach, with a fresh approach sure to come with him, and the No. 1 overall pick (Deandre Ayton?) will be added later this month.
But a recent fairly big development may dampen Parker’s interest in Phoenix. Joe Prunty, the former Bucks’ interim coach, has been hired as Kokoskov’s lead assistant. If a playing time rift from early in this year’s playoffs has any chance to reignited in a different way, that’s something the Suns won’t want to invite.
But money ultimately talks, and if the Suns want to make Parker an offer the Bucks won’t match they can. And Prunty won’t be the head coach this time around, and thus most directly in charge of Parker’s playing time. As long as he’s bringing it consistently and stays healthy, minutes won’t be a major issue in Phoenix.
The Suns are building a solid young core, and general manager Ryan McDonough has suggested they’ll be aggressive in free agency to accelerate a seemingly never-ending rebuild timeline. Parker would fit right in, as a relatively young player who should come far cheaper than a player of his acumen would without durability concerns.