The Dallas Mavericks face elimination in their playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Mavericks are down three games to one, and game five will take place in Oklahoma City tonight. This Mavericks team has not been whole this entire postseason, which is a big reason they are on the verge of their season ending.
One of the key players Dallas has been without is Chandler Parsons, who had knee surgery for the second straight season. Parsons' future is uncertain as he has one more year left on his deal with the Mavericks, but it is a player option worth $16 million that he is expected to decline.
Parsons, despite the season-ending injury, will likely be a highly sought after free agent as he is coming off a very good season in Dallas. In 61 games, the 27-year-old forward averaged 13.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 49 percent from the field and 41 percent from three. There will be plenty of teams after Parsons, but he is very open to staying with the Mavericks.
"I do. I love it here," Parsons said. "My focus right now is to be healthy. The city has been great. I can see myself staying here and playing for a long time."
While Parsons is clearly open to staying with the Mavericks, he has also said in the past that he won't rule out a return to the Houston Rockets, where he played the first three years of his NBA career. Parsons loved his time in Houston and, even recently, said he missed the city that has a special place in his heart.
On top of Houston being a potential threat to the Mavericks keeping Parsons, the Orlando Magic are also expected to be threats, as Parsons grew up in Orlando. While those three teams may have the best shot at Parsons, the fact of the matter is that he will have an enormous amount of suitors and will be due a big pay raise. Based on his performance, you can easily make the argument that Parsons deserves a max contract, or close to it, but with the injuries, it may come down to the team that offers him the most money.
The Mavericks can offer Parsons the most money, considering they can go an extra year on a max contract, so they should still be considered the favorites to keep him. Parsons, though, has not made any guarantees and it seems like he will at least take visits over the summer to see what the best situation is for him moving forward.
