Since assuming the position of general manager of the Houston Rockets back in 2007, Daryl Morey has earned a reputation for being quite the cutthroat tactician—someone who forces rival front office decision-makers into acutely uncomfortable situations.
With Chandler Parsons, Morey got a dose of his own medicine.
Right as free agency was beginning to crest towards its LeBron James crescendo, Parsons—a restricted free agent—agreed to a three-year, $46 million offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks (per Yahoo’s Marc J. Spears).
Houston declined to match. This, according to Spears, made Parsons none too pleased:
Honestly, I was offended by the whole process. They publicly said that they were going out looking for a third star when I thought they had one right in front of them. I guess that's just how they viewed me as a player. I don't think I've scratched the surface of where I can be as a player and I think I'm ready for that role…You can't knock them for always trying to get better. Morey is very aggressive, is a genius, a great GM and I have nothing but respect for those guys. And they are looking to make their team better. That's what they were doing. I just thought I could be that guy that could do that.
Someone’s salty!
In Morey’s defense, three years and $46 million for a good but still largely unproven player is quite the roll of the dice—one that Dallas was apparently ready to make.
Perhaps the Rockets had a limit in mind for how high they were willing to go. Your thoughts, Mr. Parsons?
Throughout the whole process they pretty much told me they were going to match everything. I understand it's a business. I understand they had to do what they thought was best for their organization. It definitely caught me off-guard a little bit.
Oh. Okay then.
When you talk about NBA free agency, it’s impossible not to think of the old line from Robert Burns: “The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry.”
Perhaps the Rockets really did intend on matching any offer laid at Parsons’ feet. Perhaps swinging for—and ultimately missing on—Chris Bosh changed their thinking entirely. Perhaps Morey saw in Trevor Ariza a reasonable, cheaper Parsons facsimile, one that could afford him a bit more long-term flexibility (albeit a bit much).
Or, more likely still, perhaps Morey simply never believed Parsons’ price tag would get that high.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, it might’ve been a little bit of all the above:
It’ll take years before we know who really lost out on this high-stakes staring contest. Indeed, as The Dallas Morning News’ Eddie Sefko points out, Dallas isn ’t just banking on Parsons succeeding in a vacuum:
If Parsons emerges as a player that perhaps can lead the Mavericks in scoring and certainly add the all-around numbers that he’s improved on every season he’s been in the league, the signing of the 6-9 small forward will pay huge dividends down the road.
Good young talent tends to attract more good young talent.
That’s why the Mavericks were so aggressive in going after Parsons.
If Cuban, the headstrong owner, and president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson had listened to fans over the last three summers, they would have thrown up their hands and figured they’d never get it right in free agency. They never surrendered.
Here’s what we know: Given his production over his first three seasons, Parsons has been criminally underpaid. Whether his future production closes the gap on what appears to be quite the gamble, it’ll be interesting to see.
In the end, it’s not like Parsons is heading to some basketball backwater; the Mavericks are just three years removed from their first NBA championship and seem intent on maintaining their status as conference contenders.
If anyone’s going to get the most out of Parsons’ uniquely versatile skill-set, it’s Rick Carlisle .
Which is why, when all’s said and done, there’s a good chance Parsons looks back at the summer of 2014 as a blessing, rather than a betrayal.
//from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1rn4WMy
via IFTTT July 14, 2014 at 09:32PM
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