When the Rockets decided not to pick up their option on Chandler Parsons this summer, it was a ploy to avoid his unrestricted free agency next summer. It backfired when he signed a Mavs three-year, $46 million offer sheet they ended up not matching. Now Parsons says he was “offended” they didn’t consider him the third star they continue to seek in free agency.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports caught up with Parsons by phone yesterday, and the 25-year-old native Floridian explained why Houston’s whole process offended him while conceding the “genius” of GM Daryl Morey:
“Honestly, I was offended by the whole process,” Parsons told Yahoo Sports on Monday in a phone interview. “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. [Houston general manager] Daryl 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.”
The Mavs, on the other hand, feel Parsons — a second-round pick in 2011 — can be that third star, and put their money where their mouth was.
“They really showed how much they cared for me,” Parsons said. “They didn’t want me to wait for Bosh. They didn’t want me to wait for ‘Melo. They came forward first.”
The Rockets struck out on Bosh and ‘Melo, but they’re currently looking to swing a deal for a marquee name like Rajon Rondo or Kevin Love.
Parsons felt slighted the Rockets wanted to add another big name, believing he was that big name after averaging a career high 16.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 37.6 minutes per game last season. Still, he isn’t bitter about the whole ordeal, especially after going from less than a $1,000,000 for this upcoming season — if the Rockets had picked up their team option — to $14.7 million for the 2014-15 season as he starts his new contract.
“[The Rockets] gave me my first opportunity,” Parsons said. “They believed in me. They drafted me. I have nothing but love and respect for them. They will have a special place in my heart. The fans were unbelievable and I hope they have no hard feelings. I had to do what is best for my career. “
The next time you lament your favorite player’s exodus to another team for more money, remember Chandler Parsons. He did so with as much class as you could hope for, but it’s a matter of perspective. Most of us would flee our current employment if it meant a raise of the magnitude Parsons experienced.
Should Parsons feel slighted?
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