NBA Free Agency: Chandler Parsons Meeting With Memphis Grizzlies Despite Maximum Contract Offer From Portland Trail Blazers

Despite injuries, some NBA players still have options when it comes to free agency. According to ESPN, Chandler Parsons is being courted by both the Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies. Portland has already made their pitch and offered the maximum contract to Parsons. However, that was not enough, as the six-foot-10 forward is set to meet with the Grizzlies.

The Portland Trail Blazers made Chandler Parsons their top priority in the off season. The team headed down to Los Angeles to meet with Parsons during the opening hours of free agency. NBA teams had to wait until midnight in order to meet with potential additions.

Chandler Parsons was offered $94.8 million over four years by the Portland Trail Blazers. That was the maximum amount of money that they could offer because they do not hold his Bird Rights. For that amount of money, the Trail Blazers are hoping that Parsons becomes a building block.

Trail Blazers making early run at Chandler Parsons. @WojVerticalNBA report on @TheVertical's free agency show. https://t.co/GuclHYy4qr

— Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) July 1, 2016

One of the few certainties in free agency is that Chandler Parsons is going to be wearing a different jersey in the NBA next season. While the franchise really liked him, the Dallas Mavericks believe that they have a better chance of competing for a title with players other than Parsons, as reported by ESPN.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wants badly to build a roster around Dirk Nowitzki that can help the German forward compete for another NBA Championship before he decides to walk away from professional basketball. Chandler Parsons is not part of the plan because Cuban believes that he is injury-prone.

Had Chandler Parsons been healthy over the past two seasons, then the Dallas Mavericks would have gladly signed him to a maximum contract. The team was reportedly hoping that he would become the franchise player after Dirk Nowitzki decided to end his Hall of Fame career.

Last season, the Portland Trail Blazers overachieved. After losing LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency last summer to the San Antonio Spurs, the team was expected to start a rebuilding period. Instead, they made it to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

Damian Lillard blossomed into a franchise player for the Portland Trail Blazers. According to CBS Sports, Lillard was one of the people within the Trail Blazers organization who flew to southern California to meet with Chandler Parsons. Lillard was said to be an integral part of the presentation.

If he signs with the Portland Trail Blazers, then Chandler Parsons can expect to have a pretty big role. The team is looking for another playmaker because Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are the only two on the roster who can consistently do that. Parsons is viewed as a point forward by many in the NBA.

One of the main reasons why Chandler Parsons is willing to meet with the Memphis Grizzlies is because of his relationship with JB Bickerstaff, who was recently hired by the Grizzlies as an assistant head coach under former Miami Heat assistant coach and new Memphis head coach David Fizdale.

The Memphis Grizzlies are desperately trying to keep starting point guard Mike Conley from leaving via free agency. The belief is that Conley will be more enticed to stick around if the Grizzlies were successfully able to acquire the services of Chandler Parsons in free agency.

It’s nice to have options as a free agent in the NBA. Chandler Parsons knows that someone will be paying him millions of dollars to continue chasing his dreams. He just needs to figure out which franchise is going to be writing those checks to him.

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