Chandler Parsons is going to opt out of the $16 million he can make next season as a Maverick and become an unrestricted free agent. He’d be foolish not to. First, he’s going to get a raise from $16 million considering the massive spike in the salary cap, how well Parsons has played of late, and the thin market for top free agents this summer. Second, he can lock up that higher sum for four years at least, rather than just one.
The only question is, can the Dallas Mavericks re-sign Parsons?
The franchise is concerned that Orlando and other teams could become players in the Parsons’ sweepstakes, reports Tim MacMahon at ESPN.Don’t assume Parsons will automatically re-sign with the Mavs this summer after he opts out of the final season of his three-year, $46 million contract -- which is a virtual certainty with the salary cap soaring -- despite owner Mark Cuban’s making it clear he is committed to keeping Parsons as a foundation piece...
Those close to the situation consider his hometown Magic to be the biggest threat to steal Parsons from the Mavs. With its pre-deadline dealing, Orlando cleared enough cap space to sign two players to max contracts. Sources anticipate that the Magic will aggressively pursue Parsons....
The list of teams interested in Parsons will be long, with sources expecting the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and Magic to be among Parsons’ suitors. If Durant leaves Oklahoma City, add the Thunder to the list, with a potential reunion with Parsons’ coach at Florida, Billy Donovan.
Parsons’ camp says in this article and will say this summer it’s about the fit and the opportunity. We all know it’s about the money, but if he draws multiple max contract offers (a real possibility), then other factors come into play.
Dallas is going to recruit him (which is a nice change for Parsons, who has become a go-to recruiter during the summer). Orlando’s draw is they will have a nice young core of players and the cap space for two max free agents — Al Horford is rumored to be their top target. Add Horford and Parsons to Victor Oladipo, Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Fournier, and that’s a fascinating team out East.
The bottom line is Parsons will have options outside Dallas.