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.
