Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com reported earlier today that Mavericks small forward Chandler Parsons will likely have season-ending surgery this week on a torn meniscus in his right knee. Parsons, 27, left Friday’s game early with what the Mavs called a sore right hamstring. He sat out Sunday’s game, and an MRI revealed Monday that the torn meniscus was causing the hamstring pain, according to MacMahon. If going under the knife is indeed in Parsons’ future, it would be the second consecutive campaign to end prematurely for the player due to injury.
Though his current malady isn’t as severe as the one that required microfracture surgery last spring, this is still an alarming trend for the player. Parsons is still expected to opt out and hit free agency this summer, with the Mavericks the favorites to re-sign him, according to the ESPN scribe. Prior to his latest injury, Parsons was expected to be pursued by the Heat, Lakers, Nets, Knicks, Trail Blazers, Rockets and Nuggets. The Magic have also reportedly been primed for an aggressive run at Parsons in free agency this summer, and they loom as his top non-Dallas choice, as MacMahon previously reported, though it’s unclear how his latest injury affects how teams view the player.
This brings me to the topic for today: Is Chandler Parsons worth a maximum salary deal this offseason?
The Mavericks may be inclined to pony up that amount given the front office’s apparent fondness for Parsons as well as the team’s difficulties in landing upper-tier free agents the past few seasons. But even with the salary cap set to jump into the $90MM-$95MM range, inking Parsons to a deal in excess of $20MM per season is a major risk given his injury history. It’s also arguable whether Parsons would be worthy of the amount based on his numbers alone. He’s averaging 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game to go along with his shooting line of .474/.380/.705.
While Parsons is a versatile contributor who possesses a solid skill set, I’d find it difficult to justify paying Parsons top-dollar on his next deal even if he was completely healthy. But that’s merely my opinion and we’re looking for yours. So what say you? Is Parsons worth a salary in excess of $20MM per season given his production and injury history? If so, which team is the likeliest to break the bank to sign him this summer? If you don’t believe Parsons is worthy of top-dollar compensation, what contract parameters do you deem fair for all parties? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.
The max I would pay for him would be 18 million
I don’t think of him as a max guy, but I think we all have to adjust who we think of as max players, given the radical changes in the market.
The knees never really recover. I imagine Parsons was one of those players that had ice packs on both knees when on the bench since high school.
Honestly with the max money we might throw at him, I’d rather let him walk and sign someone else. I’m sick of watching his cringe-worthy jumper even tho they go in
what stats even support the notion that he is a max player? Hes just an average starter – or slightly better than average.