Fansided

NBA Trade Deadline 2019: 5 only mildly depressing trades for Jabari Parker

By Josh Ejnes

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 16: Jabari Parker #2 of the Chicago Bulls walks backcourt during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on November 16, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 16: Jabari Parker #2 of the Chicago Bulls walks backcourt during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on November 16, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Grizzlies, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley
MEMPHIS, TN – NOVEMBER 7: Mike Conley #11 and Marc Gasol #33 of the Memphis Grizzlies high five during the game against the Denver Nuggets on November 7, 2018 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Memphis Grizzlies

If Parker gets traded to the Grizzlies there’s no real chance that they’d pick up his option for next season, but there would still be a lot of upside to him ending up in Memphis.

Any move that sends Parker to the Grizzlies would likely involve Mike Conley and/or Marc Gasol getting dealt, meaning he’d have a chance to really shine as the teams primary offensive option. He might not be able to perform well enough to get a deal from another team that matches his $20 million Bulls contract, but he would have the chance to play his way into a decent deal for a contending team next season.

Another benefit of playing in Memphis would be that Parker would be out of the big market spotlight putting major pressure on him in Chicago.

The Grizzlies are far from relevant right now, so he’d be able to take whatever steps are necessary for him to improve and develop his game without worrying about the prying national media. It would also be interesting to see how Parker operates if he’s put into the driver’s seat of a team.

Most of the drama that’s surrounded Parker throughout his career has been a result of him feeling as though he wasn’t getting the right kind of role or minutes; given the chance to be a leader would he rise to the challenge? Or would he find that being number one on the NBA level is not as appealing as he had thought?

Either way, the experience would answer a lot of questions about Parker as a teammate, and he’d have the chance to really elevate how organizations view him going forward.

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