Jabari Parker reportedly seeking five-year max extension from Bucks
Jabari Parker is coming off his second ACL tear in less than three years, but he’s not about to let that bring down his asking price.
According to a report by Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times on Friday, the Milwaukee Bucks forward, who is due for an extension as a member of the 2014 draft class, is seeking a five-year max from the team.
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With salaries having skyrocketed over the summer, thanks in large measure to an extremely lucrative television contract, multiple sources claim Parker will be seeking a contract similar to the one he expected to receive prior to his latest injury – a max contract of five years for anywhere between $146 million (25 percent of the salary cap) to $175M (30 percent of the cap).
The 22-year-old Parker re-tore his left ACL last February less than 26 months after suffering the same fate as a rookie. This time around, he may not be ready to return until the All-Star break if his original timetable holds true.
But the former No. 2 pick had been playing the best basketball of his career last season before going down, looking even more explosive than before his first ACL tear and averaging career-highs in points (20.1), rebounds (6.2), and assists per game (2.8). Given Parker’s talent and his work ethic (not to mention the other injury-prone 2014 draftees who may also be cashing in on that extension green), it’s hard to knock him for believing in his own value.
