According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks have agree on a trade that sends Chandler Parsons to Atlanta in exchange for Miles Plumlee and Solomon Hill.
The move won’t be official until July 6.
Parsons was an outstanding player for the Houston Rockets in his first three seasons in The Association. After garnering NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2012, the former Florida Gator averaged 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game in 2012-13.
Parsons, who was the SEC Player of the Year as a senior in 2011 when he led UF to the Elite Eight, averaged 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 SPG in 2013-14.
Going into his fourth season as a restricted free agent, Parsons signed a thee-year, $46 million offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks. Houston decided not to match the offer.
Parsons averaged 15.7 points and 4.9 RPG in 66 games for Dallas in 2014-15, but a knee injury prevented him from playing in all but one of the team’s postseason games. He averaged 13.7 PPG the next year but once again went down with a season-ending injury.
In what would be the worst move in franchise history in the summer of 2016, Memphis inked Parsons to a four-year contract worth $94M. His tenure with the Grizzlies was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish.
Parsons played only 34 games in his first season with the club, averaging 6.2 PPG while shooting an abysmal 33.8 percent from the field. He played in only 36 games the following year, averaging 7.9 PPG.
The chronic knee soreness that has bothered him for several years allowed him to play merely 25 games this past season. Memphis tried to reach a buyout with Parsons but when that didn’t occur, it pulled the trigger on the trade. The thinking for the Grizzlies is that it’ll be easier to dispense of two bad contracts — Hill at $12.8M for 2019-20 and Plumlee at $12.5M — than one.
Atlanta is on the hook for $25.1M for Parsons this season. Whether the Hawks will pursue a buyout or see if the 30-year-old veteran can earn a role on the team is unclear at this point.
Whatever the case, this trade frees up a roster spot for the Hawks, who also save $600,000 with this move. Atlanta is believed to be $14.6M under the salary cap.
Atlanta GM Travis Schlenk could have his eye on a bigger free agent, or he might’ve just wanted to open the roster spot for Vince Carter, who played well and was an outstanding presence in the locker room for his young roster this past season.