Getty Jabari Parker, New York Knicks
Donovan Mitchell’s name might be dominating the New York Knicks headlines, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other moves the team could be working on in the background.
After all, the Knicks still have two open roster spots, and the additional depth will ensure they’re well positioned to put last season’s struggles firmly behind them. Of course, it’s hard to envision Leon Rose and William Wesley signing off on any deal before the Mitchell saga has reached its conclusion – even if it’s only to ensure their cap space doesn’t get muddied.
Still, according to Ben Stinar of Sports Illustrated, the front office should take a closer look at Jabari Parker, as the journeyman forward is currently a free agent and could boost the Knicks’ firepower off the bench.
“There is no question that given an opportunity, he can still score the ball. At the very worst, he could be good insurance in case anyone gets injured or goes through a slump. However, he also could be a player that could be relied on off the bench,” Stinar wrote in his July 22 article.
Parker spent last season with the Boston Celtics, participating in 12 games where he averaged 4.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game while shooting 47.4% from the field and 50% from deep. Parker was waived by the Celtics in January, as they looked to open up a roster spot.
What Does Parker Bring to New York
Parker might not be the explosive force of nature that he was coming out of college, but he’s still a capable scorer and finisher and showed glimpses of defensive upside when being used as a small-ball drop defender in Boston.
Still, the crux of Parker’s game at this point in his career is his ability to get hot for stretches and score across all three levels. Sure, there are times when he can’t buy a bucket, but when he’s feeling it, Parker knows how to find the bottom of the net, and that could be invaluable to a young Knicks bench unit.
No injuries .. Jabari and Giannis are one of the best duos of all-time
Both big, athletic forwards
According to Cleaning the Glass, Parker converted 56% of his attempts at the rim, 36% of his mid-range shots, and 53% of his three-point attempts last season, which while a small sample size, goes to show that given the opportunity, Parker can still contribute to an NBA team.
Knicks Have Entered Trade Negotiations for Mitchell
While Parker does make sense for the Knicks, it’s clear their focus is on bringing Donovan Mitchell to New York. And, according to a July 14 report by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the two teams have begun negotiations on the framework of a potential deal.
The Jazz and Knicks have started discussions on a Donovan Mitchell trade, sources tell me and @Tjonesonthenba. New York has Utah’s focus currently, among interested teams.
Story at @TheAthletic:
“The Jazz are having conversations with multiple teams on a Mitchell deal, but the Knicks have emerged as the focused destination over the past several days, sources said. Both sides have discussed a deal framework in the past 24 hours, those sources said,” Charania wrote in his July 14 column.
Of course, sitting down to negotiate, and agreeing terms on a deal are two totally different things, and only time will tell if both the Knicks and Utah Jazz’s front offices can come to an agreement that works for everyone. But, that doesn’t mean the Knicks should stop looking elsewhere to upgrade their roster.