Milwaukee Bucks NBA Trade and Roster Rumors: Jabari Parker Wants a Max Contract Extension
It looks like Jabari Parker's not planning to give the Milwaukee Bucks a discount when they begin negotiations on a possible contract extension.
The Racine Journal Times' Gery Woelfel has reported that the Bucks may have to break open the bank if they want to prevent Parker from entering unrestricted free agency in the 2019 offseason because the fourth-year forward is asking for a five-year max contract extension worth between $146 million and $175 million.
"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)," Woelfel said.
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It's safe to say that the Bucks were probably hoping to extend Parker at a discount after he suffered his second anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in three years last season, but it seemed that he thinks he's worth a max contract.
Of course, a lot of observers have already pointed out that he's not really worth that much since he has yet to prove that he can play at an All-Star level in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Sure, his offensive game has continued to improve and he has shown a lot of potential before he got injured last season, but players don't get max contracts based on potential alone. Just ask Nerlens Noel.
Parker's health is a serious red flag as well. He's still young, but he still has to prove that he can stay on the floor before they hand him an extension anywhere close to the max.
The Bucks will surely give him a long-term extension if they can reach a compromise. But if he insists on a max deal, the team will probably allow him to test the restricted free agent market next summer. The problem is that he will become an unrestricted free agent in 2019 if he signs a one-year qualifying offer next year.
