Chandler Parsons frustrated with Grizzlies for delaying return: ‘I’m healthy’

Chandler Parsons has had a forgettable three-season tenure thus far with the Memphis Grizzlies, and things may now be reaching a boiling point.

Speaking Saturday with the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Mark Giannotto, Parsons, who has not played in over two months, declared himself healthy and expressed frustration with the team for delaying his return.

“The most confusing part for me is I’m healthy,” said the veteran forward. “I’m medically cleared by the people I work with every single day, that are experts at this kind of stuff, so it’s frustrating to watch a team struggle and I’m sitting there on the bench healthy, dying to play.”

The 30-year-old Parsons signed a four-year, $94 million deal with Memphis in the summer of 2016 but has appeared in just 73 total games for them in the three seasons since due to lingering knee issues. Last season, he even had to shoot down rumors of a possible medical retirement. This season, Parsons played in the Grizzlies’ first three games but has not taken the court since.

“It’s just been a very unorganized schedule and still, to this day, there’s no set plan of when I’m going to return to play or anything like that,” Parsons went on. “No communication. No nothing. I don’t think it’s from a basketball standpoint. It’s definitely not from a health standpoint. I’ve been cleared by the medical staff of our organization, and clearly it’s not about fitting. I already earned a starting spot out of training camp and have shown I can fit with the team. I think the confusion for me is there’s no communication about what’s going on and when I’m going to play.”

Parsons also added that he and the Memphis medical staff had originally been targeting a Dec. 21 return date but that “then they kind of put an end to that,” with “they” being a reference to GM Chris Wallace and the team’s front office.

After going a miserable 22-60 last year, the Grizzlies have improved mightily in 2018-19, posting a record of 18-16 and positioning themselves on the fringe of the Western Conference playoff picture. The team may feel that they are better without Parsons, but Parsons clearly does not appreciate being what he essentially sees as a healthy scratch.