2019 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Jabari Parker: 2 years, $13 million (Atlanta Hawks)
Sources: Jabari Parker is signing a two-year, $13M deal with the Hawks, with a player option in year two. https://t.co/MjQTdEuDaR
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2019
This signing is … fine. The Atlanta Hawks are getting a guy who can get buckets off the bench, Jabari Parker will get a chance for yet another fresh start on an up-and-coming team and the price is fair for both sides, with only a one-year investment thanks to that player option.
However, it’s hard to get too excited about a move like this, especially in conjunction with the Hawks shipping away Omari Spellman for Damian Jones and a second round pick. Parker is a more reliable contributor than Spellman at this point, but in all honesty, a stretch-big like Spellman might have been a better long-term fit — concerns about his conditioning and all.
Last year, Parker posted 14.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game on 49.3 percent shooting, but his 3-point efficiency fell off to 31.3 percent and he remains a major defensive liability. Maybe Parker will find his place on a young team that needs his scoring off the bench, but more than likely, it’ll be time for another “fresh start” a year from now.
Grade: C+