The Chandler Parsons era in Memphis appeared to be on the verge of reaching its conclusion prior to the trade deadline. Parsons has only played in three games this season despite being healthy since December, and according to a report, the team and the player were going to figure something out regarding his future.
The NBA’s trade deadline came and went on Thursday afternoon, and while the Grizzlies made a few moves, none of them involved finding a new home for Parsons. As such, Tim MacMahon of ESPN reports that the veteran wing is going to return to Memphis, with the team finding a spot for him in its rotation.
Sources: Chandler Parsons will rejoin the Grizzlies and be in the rotation after the trade deadline passed without him being moved.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 9, 2019
MacMahon went on to write that Parsons will return to the team following the All-Star break, with Parsons saying “I’m glad the Grizzlies are giving me that opportunity. I’ve been training hard in Los Angeles for the last month and hoping I’d get a chance to play again this season.”
Parsons has one year left on the monster four-year, $94.4 million contract that he signed with the team during the 2016 offseason, so unless the plan is to find him a new home this offseason, the implication here looks to be that the Grizzlies will have him play out the rest of his deal and become an unrestricted free agent in 2020. While he is a good player, Parsons has had a ton of trouble staying on the floor for Memphis, appearing in 34 and 36 games in each of the last two years.
