The Houston Rockets will decline to match the three year, $46 million offer sheet that Chandler Parsons signed with the Dallas Mavericks earlier this week.
Parsons, a terrific young forward in the NBA, was strangely made a restricted free agent a year early by the Rockets with the hopes to bring him back on a reasonable long-term contract.
That backfired thanks to Mark Cuban and the Mavericks, who have successfully added the wing talent they have been looking for over the past few years, although at a hefty price.
Parsons, a rising forward in the league who averaged 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and four 4.0 assists per game, had been making under $1 million per year over the first three years of his career with the Rockets. Congratulations, Chandler, it’s finally time to cash in big. Welcome to Dallas:
HELLLLLLLLLO DALLAS #MFFL
— Chandler Parsons (@ChandlerParsons) July 13, 2014
Houston will always have a special place in my heart and I will never forget the memories. My teammates, I love you, thank you. — Chandler Parsons (@ChandlerParsons) July 13, 2014
Just heard from @dmorey and Mr. Alexander. Nothing but utmost respect for them, the fans and city of Houston. THANK YOU for your support!
— Chandler Parsons (@ChandlerParsons) July 13, 2014
Not only did Parsons earn his first big payday, but he was also named to the Team USA roster. Not a bad day if you ask me.
BIG night for Chandler Parsons. ESPN has learned Parsons will be added to Team USA roster announced Monday by USA Basketball
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 13, 2014
Parsons will be added to a starting lineup consisting of Raymond Felton (hoping to bounce back after an atrocious year with the Knicks), Monta Ellis, Dirk and Tyson Chandler. And because of his ability to play point-forward, he will be able to relieve pressure off of Felton. Make no mistake, this is a huge addition for the Mavericks, who took the San Antonio Spurs to seven games as an eight seed in the first round of the playoffs this past season.
The Rockets, meanwhile, have now lost Parsons for nothing and missed out on Chris Bosh, who seemed like a lock to join the team if LeBron left Miami.
Talk about backfire.
All is not lost though, as GM Daryl Morey was able to strike an affordable deal — four years, $32 million — to bring back Trevor Ariza, who will fill the void at small forward left by Parsons. Ariza was a big reason for the leap the Washington Wizards were able to make this past season.
While Ariza does not bring the offensive versatility to the table that Parsons does, he was not far off statistically, averaging 14.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Ariza is also an excellent three-point shooter and will see plenty of open looks thanks to the analytically driven Houston offense. Let’s not forget what Ariza brings to the table defensively, a sure upgrade on what Parsons was able to contribute.
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Ben Baroff is a basketball journalist who blogs for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
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