Mr. Chicago returns to his hometown!
Following the Chicago Bulls using most of last year to build a new identity, the team struck gold this weekend – officially inking Jabari Parker to a two-year deal. The contract is reportedly worth $40 million, with a team option in place if he gets injured again next season.
The versatile forward now joins the starting roster, as the Bulls are now looking to build for the immediate future. Last season, the team was plagued by injuries, with Zach LaVine missing most of the year to rehab his torn ACL after knee surgery. In that span, the team used time to help adjust international draft lottery pick Lauri Markkanen to the pace of the NBA – which was a success.
With no. 7 overall pick Wendell Carter Jr. also showing out in summer league play this month, the Baby Bulls have a nice young nucleus, if they can all stay healthy. For Jabari, his time in Milwaukee was over after they agreed to a deal with Brook Lopez and extended Ersan Ilyasova.
Let us know in the comments what you think of the move.
“From the moment the Bucks drafted Jabari with the No. 2 pick in the 2014 Draft, they have gone out of their way to treat Jabari as a member of the Bucks family, and this is another perfect example of doing exactly that, and we’re very appreciative.” – Mark Bartelstein pic.twitter.com/hUrkz25VoF
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 14, 2018
Bucks GM Jon Horst tells ESPN that Bucks weren't going to match offer sheet, and worked in good faith with Parker and his agent Mark Bartelstein to let them negotiate the unrestricted deal with Bulls. There was no harm for Bucks to make the gesture. https://t.co/MDdwleqExa
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 14, 2018