Chandler Parsons

And-Ones: Beasley, Parsons, Turell, Bowen

Power forward Michael Beasley, an 11-year veteran who is still just 33, remains hopeful that he can continue his professional basketball journey, as he revealed during an intense interview with ex-NFL players Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor on The Pivot Podcast (video link).

Beasley last inked a deal with the Brooklyn Nets for the 2019/20 NBA season’s Orlando “bubble” season, only to see his contract voided after he tested positive for COVID-19. “I’m gonna retire how I want to retire,” said Beasley. “I can’t live my life on your terms. I can’t just let my dream die.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • In a conversation with fellow former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on their podcast All The Smoke, former NBA forward Chandler Parsons discussed the 2020 car accident that was a factor in his eventual retirement. “It was nuts,” said Parsons, who was a deep-bench reserve with the Hawks at the time. “I was leaving practice one day in Atlanta, two o’clock on a Wednesday. And I’m driving and I just see this car coming at me and just completely T-Bones me. And I had never been to a crash before… The windows were bashed in, airbag’s out, I had a cut on my wrist, I was bleeding… and I couldn’t move my neck!”
  • Division III wing Ryan Turell, the leading NCAA scorer in the nation out of Yeshiva University with an average of 27.1 PPG, will leave school ahead of his senior year to test the waters for the 2022 draft, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN“I know NBA teams came to see me [during his season],” the 6’7″ prospect said. “My coach would tell me after each game, especially toward the end of the season. Quite a few NBA teams came to watch.”
  • Ex-Pacers small forward Brian Bowen II recently had a surgical procedure for his ruptured Achilles tendon, per Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link). He has appeared in 12 games across two seasons with Indiana. This year, the 6’6″ Bowen did not make an NBA roster, but he did suit up for the Iowa Wolves, the G League club for the Timberwolves, and the USA Basketball World Cup Qualifying Team. In 21 contests with Iowa this year, he holds averages of 14.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 1.1 APG.

Chandler Parsons Announces Retirement

Veteran forward Chandler Parsons has retired from basketball, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Parsons published an Instagram post today stating that he’s “excited for the next chapter of [his] life.

“My entire life all I wanted to be was an NBA player,” Parsons wrote. “I didn’t even realize, or think what came with that, I just wanted to compete and play basketball at the highest level. I can proudly say, I did THAT!

“It wasn’t perfect, but it was a blast and I want to take a moment to thank every single person who helped me reach my dreams. My family, my friends, my AAU and high school program, University of Florida, thank you for preparing me and getting me ready for the journey. To the Rockets, Mavericks, Grizzlies and Hawks, thank you for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to live my dreams. To all the staff, trainers, doctors, coaches, teammates, agents, and most important the fans who supported me, THANK YOU.”

Parsons, who is 33, was the 38th overall pick in the 2011 draft. He appeared in a total of 440 regular season games for Houston, Dallas, Memphis, and Atlanta from 2011-20, averaging 12.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.7 APG on .462/.373/.713 shooting in 30.1 minutes per contest. He only saw action in 13 postseason contests, but played a key role for the Rockets and Mavericks in those games, putting up 18.1 PPG and 6.6 RPG on .437/.363/.690 shooting in 40.4 MPG.

Parsons’ best seasons came in Houston and Dallas from 2012-16 before he signed a four-year, $94MM+ contract with the Grizzlies during the 2016 offseason. Injuries subsequently derailed his career, as he appeared in just 95 total games across three seasons with Memphis.

Bad health luck continued to plague Parsons after he was traded to Atlanta — he was involved in a serious car accident in January 2020. The Hawks initially announced he had been diagnosed with a concussion and whiplash and Parsons’ lawyers later issued a statement indicating that the forward had suffered additional injuries in the accident, including disc herniation and a torn labrum.

Those injuries ultimately led to the early end of Parsons’ career, according to Charania, who says a lawsuit the 33-year-old filed in response as a result of that accident has been settled for a “substantial amount.”

It’s an unfortunate final chapter for Parsons’ playing days, but his statement on Instagram makes it sound as if he’s at peace with his decision to retire.

It’s been a crazy last couple years and has put a lot of things in perspective,” Parsons wrote. “I’ve had so many ups and downs and thankful for every single one of them.”

And-Ones: Highsmith, Johnson, USA Basketball, Parsons

USA Basketball has added former Sixers two-way player Haywood Highsmith to its initial qualifying team for the 2023 World Cup, agent Jerry Dianis confirmed. Highsmith will join the team in time for group training, which is set to take place from Nov. 20-25.

Highsmith signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Philadelphia this past fall, later joining the team’s G League affiliate in Delaware. In four games with the club, he’s averaging 16 points, six rebounds and two steals, while shooting 57% from the floor and 50% from deep.

USA Basketball also recently added former NBA players Isaiah Thomas and Justin Anderson to its roster. The team’s first game is against Cuba on Nov. 28, playing in a bubble format in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Speaking of USA Basketball, former No. 8 pick Stanley Johnson received interest to play with the team for the first window of the World Cup qualifiers, according to Marc Stein of Substack. Johnson decided not to play with the group, choosing to join the Lakers’ G League affiliate in South Bay instead. Johnson is working to fast-track a return to the NBA, according to Stein. The 25-year-old holds 371 games of NBA experience and played with Toronto last year.
  • Former NBA player Chandler Parsons is still recovering from the serious injuries he sustained during a car crash in 2020, he told TMZ Sports. Parsons, who suffered a brain injury, disc herniation and torn labrum, was allegedly hit by a drunk driver in the collision. “We’ll see,” Parsons said about a potential NBA comeback. “Working out, staying in shape, but trying to still recover from the car crash last year, so we’ll see.” Parsons last played with the Hawks during the 2019/20 season.

Southwest Notes: Primo, Hart, Pelicans, Mavs, Parsons

As expected, the Spurs have assigned rookie Joshua Primo to their G League affiliate in Austin. According to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link), Primo isn’t expected to travel with the NBA club to Dallas, Milwaukee, and Indiana for its next three games and will instead remain in the G League during that time.

McDonald says it’s possible Primo will return to San Antonio after the Spurs’ road trip comes to an end next week, but it’s probably safe to assume the 18-year-old will spend plenty of time in Austin during his rookie year. Primo is the youngest player in the NBA, and the Spurs typically exercise plenty of patience with their top prospects.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Pelicans wing Josh Hart, who has missed the team’s last three games due to right quadriceps tendinosis, said on Wednesday that he felt soreness during the preseason, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Hart is getting closer to returning to action, but wants to be sure he’s back to 100% and expressed doubts about returning tonight.
  • While the eventual return of Zion Williamson should help unlock the Pelicans‘ full offensive potential, the team probably needs to play slower and more deliberately as long as the former No. 1 pick remains sidelined, according to Scott Kushner of NOLA.com, who says New Orleans can’t afford to turn the ball over so much.
  • In a discussion on Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast about the Mavericks‘ front office over the years, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon suggested that forward Chandler Parsons was the “primary voice in (team owner Mark) Cuban‘s ear” for a couple years back in 2014-15. “Chandler Parsons had significantly more control over personnel than Donnie Nelson did for two years,” MacMahon said, per Dan Feldman of NBC Sports. “That is simply a fact.”

Wolves, Hawks, Rockets, Nuggets Complete Four-Team Trade

FEBRUARY 5: The trade is now official, with Twitter announcements from the RocketsTimberwolves and Nuggets confirming the deal. Atlanta also formally waived Chandler Parsons to accommodate the trade, as detailed earlier.

FEBRUARY 4: The Timberwolves, Hawks, Rockets, and Nuggets are in agreement on a massive four-team trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported (via Twitter) that the four clubs were close to reaching a deal, while Woj says (via Twitter) the players involved are now being informed.

According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Charania (Twitter links), Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), and Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), the trade looks like this:

There have been rumors for the last several days suggesting that a trade like this one could be in play. An earlier variation had the Warriors in Denver’s place, with the Wolves pursuing D’Angelo Russell, but Golden State backed off those talks earlier on Tuesday, leaving Minnesota, Houston, and Atlanta to work out a new agreement.

Let’s break down how the deal will impact each team…

Houston Rockets:

Daryl Morey‘s group has long been on the lookout for an upgrade on the wing, and they’ll get their man in Covington, a three-and-D specialist who is on a team-friendly contract that’s worth $11.3MM this season and runs through 2021/22.

The Rockets gave up two valuable assets in Capela and their 2020 first-round pick to bring in Covington, Bell, and a second-round pick. By moving Nene and Green in the deal, the team will also move well below the luxury-tax line, which would be a favorable outcome for ownership — while Tilman Fertitta has claimed to have signed off on the club being a taxpayer, it looks like this could be the second straight season that the Rockets sneak out of the tax at the deadline.

On the other hand, as Wojnarowski points out (via Twitter), the structure of the deal would allow Houston to take back up to another $12MM in salary. So until the trade is made official, there’s a window for the Rockets to potentially expand it even further to include another team and player, assuming they find a suitable target, agree on compensation, and are willing to go back into the tax. That won’t be easy, however.

While Bell could play some minutes at the five, the Rockets will remain on the lookout for a more reliable replacement for Capela, either via a trade or on the buyout market, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Houston’s go-to lineup will feature P.J. Tucker at center, but the team still wants a more traditional big to match up with star bigs in the playoffs, notes Tim MacMahon of ESPN (via Twitter).

MacMahon also adds (via Twitter) that Green, who is likely out for the season with a broken foot, had the ability to veto his inclusion in this trade, but won’t do so.

The move will reduce the Rockets’ roster count to 13 players on standard contracts, so the team will have two weeks to get back up to the NBA’s required minimum of 14 players.

Denver Nuggets:

The Nuggets were said to be seeking a first-round pick for Beasley and a second-round pick for Hernangomez, their two restricted-free-agents-to-be. They won’t quite meet that asking price, but they’ll at least get the first-rounder they were looking for, acquiring Houston’s 2020 pick in the deal.

In addition to sending out Beasley and Hernangomez, Denver also moved Vanderbilt and will bring back four players: Green, Bates-Diop, Napier, and Vonleh. The team had an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no one will have to be waived, though MacMahon reports (via Twitter) that Green is expected to be cut after the trade is official, once again opening up that last roster spot.

As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski observes (via Twitter), Napier and Vonleh are capable of playing rotation minutes and providing depth off the bench for the Nuggets. Bates-Diop will probably be further down on the depth chart. Napier and Vonleh will be unrestricted free agents at season’s end, while KBD has a non-guaranteed minimum salary for 2020/21.

Having previously traded away their own 2020 first-round selection for Jerami Grant, the Nuggets can get back into this year’s draft with Houston’s first-rounder. Of course, with Wojnarowski suggesting Denver will continue to be active before Thursday’s deadline, that pick could theoretically be flipped in another move.

Atlanta Hawks:

The Hawks have been linked to several centers over the course of the season, reportedly expressing interest in Andre Drummond, Steven Adams, and Dewayne Dedmon, among others. In recent days, the club appeared to be zeroing in on Capela, a big man whose rim-running ability will complement Trae Young on offense and whose rim-protecting ability could help bail out Young on defense.

Atlanta will surrender Turner’s expiring contract, Brooklyn’s lottery-protected 2020 first-round pick, and an extra future second-round pick in order to lock up Capela. The move will give the Hawks some cost certainty in the middle — Capela, who has a $14.9MM cap hit in 2019/20, has three more years and about $51.3MM left on his contract after this season. He won’t be eligible for free agency until the summer of 2023.

Acquiring a center now rather than waiting until the summer and trying to land one in free agency will give the Hawks the opportunity to evaluate how Capela looks next to big man John Collins. A heel injury is currently nagging Capela, but it’s not believed to be an issue that jeopardizes the rest of his season.

A 2017 first-round pick, Collins will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2020 offseason. If he meshes with Capela down the stretch, Atlanta would likely be more willing to invest heavily long-term in Collins, who is expected to seek the max or something close to it.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, the Hawks are currently carrying 15 players, so they’ll have to waive or trade someone in order to take back both Capela and Nene for Turner, even if they intend to eventually release Nene.

Minnesota Timberwolves:

Although the Timberwolves probably would have preferred to get the Warriors involved in this deal to acquire Russell, they’ll get a handful of intriguing assets in exchange for Covington and several low-cost role players (Bell, Bates-Diop, Napier, and Vonleh).

Beasley and Hernangomez will both be eligible for restricted free agency this summer, which will give the Wolves the chance to match any offer sheet they sign. Neither player had been great this season in Denver, as a crowded depth chart pushed them out of the rotation at times, but they both had solid seasons in 2018/19.

Beasley averaged 11.3 PPG with a .474/.402/.848 shooting line in 81 games (23.2 MPG) a year ago, while Hernangomez averaged 5.8 PPG and 3.8 RPG on .439/.365/.767 shooting in 70 games (19.4 MPG). The Nuggets explored contract extensions last fall with both players, reportedly offering Beasley $30MM over three years, but they didn’t reach a deal with either one. Now the Wolves will have the opportunity to evaluate them during the season’s final two months and decide whether they’re part of the franchise’s long-term plans.

In addition to acquiring those two Denver players – and a little-used project in Vanderbilt – the Timberwolves take on Turner’s $18.6MM expiring contract, generating some extra cap flexibility for the 2020 offseason by moving off Covington’s guaranteed money. They also secured Brooklyn’s lottery-protected 2020 first-round pick, which could end up at No. 15 or 16 if the Nets hang onto a playoff spot this spring.

This move doesn’t necessarily affect the Wolves’ plans to revisit a Russell trade with the Warriors, though like Allen Crabbe, Turner can’t be aggregated with another player in a deadline deal to match D-Lo’s salary. That Brooklyn first-round pick figures to be one of the assets Minnesota dangles in any offer for Russell.

Like Houston, Minnesota will have two openings on its 15-man roster once this trade is finalized, and will have up to two weeks to get back up to 14 players, the league’s required minimum.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hawks To Waive Chandler Parsons

The Hawks are waiving Chandler Parsons and his expiring contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

The move will allow Atlanta to complete its part of a four-team trade with the Wolves, Rockets, and Nuggets. The Hawks, who had a full 15-man roster, are sending out Evan Turner in the deal and taking back Clint Capela and Nene, so a corresponding move was necessary. The club could subsequently open up its 15th roster spot if it decides to release Nene after acquiring him.

Parsons, 31, signed a four-year, maximum-salary contract with the Grizzlies back in 2016, but dealt with injury issues throughout the deal and was never able to deliver on the promise he showed earlier in his career. He was sent from Memphis to Atlanta during the 2019 offseason in exchange for Solomon Hill and Miles Plumlee, but appeared in just five games for the Hawks this season and was moved to the inactive list along with Evan Turner last month as the organization focused on developing its young players

Parsons was involved in a car accident in January when his vehicle was struck by a drunk driver. Although the Hawks initially announced he had been diagnosed with a concussion and whiplash, Parsons’ lawyers issued a statement indicating that the veteran forward had suffered more serious injuries in that accident, including a traumatic brain injury, disc herniation, and a torn labrum. The injuries may jeopardize Parsons’ career, according to his attorneys.

While Parsons likely wouldn’t have been a candidate for more than a minimum-salary contract next season anyway, it would be a shame to see that car accident prematurely end his playing career. Hopefully he’s able to get healthy and return to the court before eventually retiring on his own terms.

Parsons’ cap hit for this season is $25.1MM. That figure will remain on Atlanta’s books, but since it was an expiring contract, the team won’t be on the hook for any money beyond this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Southeast Notes: Bertans, Magic, Parsons, Goodwin

A number of teams around the NBA are holding out hope that the Wizards will make Davis Bertans available before the trade deadline, writes Chris Mannix of SI.com. However, for the time being, general manager Tommy Sheppard and the front office appear to be sticking to their stance that they intend to retain Bertans and try to re-sign him this summer.

According to Mannix, inquiries on Bertans have “gone nowhere.” Multiple executives tell Mannix that the Wizards are unwilling to even discuss a potential deal.

This is Sheppard’s first trade deadline since he became the Wizards’ head of basketball operations, so it will be interesting to see whether this ends up being a leverage play or if he sticks to his guns and declines to discuss Bertans all the way through February 6.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • Josh Robbins of The Athletic explores some potential trade scenarios for the Magic, expressing skepticism that the club will pursue veterans for a playoff push. Robbins also suggests, as he did earlier this season, that Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz look like the only Orlando players who are essentially untouchable in trade talks.
  • Chandler Parsons, who was injured in a car accident, remains in the first stage of the NBA’s concussion protocol and continues to be treated for whiplash and his cervical disc injury, the Hawks announced on Thursday in a press release. According to the team, Parsons has returned home to California to continue his recovery and rehab process. He remains out indefinitely.
  • Hawks two-way player Brandon Goodwin is making a strong case to be promoted to the club’s 15-man roster, as Chris Kirschner of The Athletic details. Goodwin’s teammates are among his biggest advocates for a promotion and a guaranteed standard contract. “Hell yeah,” John Collins said. “B.G. has been around here and done everything the team has asked him to do and (then) some. If he keeps continuing to play like this, there is no reason to say he shouldn’t (get a 15-man roster spot).”

O’Connor’s Latest: Gallinari, Mavs, Sixers, Drummond, More

Multiple playoff teams have expressed interest in Danilo Gallinari, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who hears from league sources that the Mavericks and Sixers are two clubs who have made inquiries on the Thunder forward.

Gallinari entered the season looking like one of the NBA’s most obvious trade candidates, but the Thunder’s strong play has complicated the equation. It’s unclear how eager Oklahoma City will be to move one of its key contributors now that the team appears headed for a spot in the postseason.

As O’Connor points out, a lack of projected league-wide cap room this summer means the team with Gallinari on its roster to finish the season will likely have a significant leg up to sign him, thanks to his Bird rights. It remains to be seen if a team like Dallas or Philadelphia has the assets necessary to pry Gallinari out of OKC, but if a club makes a deal for him, the plan would presumably be to re-sign him in the offseason.

O’Connor’s article is ostensibly focused on the Mavericks’ need to add a third impact player to complement Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, but it includes a handful of noteworthy tidbits, not all of which are Mavs-related. Let’s round up a few other highlights…

  • As a report last week confirmed, the Hawks and Pistons had been discussing a trade that would have sent Andre Drummond to Atlanta for a package headlined by Chandler Parsons‘ expiring contract and the Nets’ lottery-protected 2020 first-round pick. Multiple league sources tell O’Connor that the Hawks ended up being unwilling to include that first-rounder due to concerns about how high Drummond’s contract demands are.
  • The Mavericks have made offers to the Timberwolves for Robert Covington, but have been turned down, according to O’Connor. While O’Connor doesn’t have the specific details on Dallas’ offers, I imagine they’d start with Courtney Lee‘s expiring contract and the Warriors’ 2020 second-round pick. The Mavs’ first-rounders are tied up for trade purposes until at at least 2025.
  • Despite denials that they plan to pursue him, league sources continue to view the Mavericks as a potential landing spot for Grizzlies forward Andre Iguodala, writes O’Connor. Dallas is one of the few contending teams that is well-positioned to make a trade offer for Iguodala rather than waiting for a possible buyout.

Lawyers Say Parsons “Seriously Injured” In Car Accident

Hawks forward Chandler Parsons has retained the services of the law firm Morgan & Morgan after being involved in a car accident last Wednesday, as Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports relays (via Twitter). Parsons was traveling home from practice when his car was struck by a driver who was subsequently arrested for drinking and driving.

“Morgan & Morgan has been retained by Mr. Parsons to help preserve all of his rights and navigate the legal process on his behalf in the wake of this terrible automobile crash,” attorneys John Morgan and Nick Panagakis said in a statement. “Chandler was seriously injured in this crash, which never should have occurred.”

According to that statement, Parsons suffered “multiple severe and permanent injuries” in the collision, including a traumatic brain injury, disc herniation, and a torn labrum. Morgan & Morgan’s statement indicates Parsons was in “peak physical condition” before the accident and is now working with a team of doctors to regain his health. The statement also suggests the accident has the potential to end Parsons’ playing career.

When the Hawks first announced Parsons’ injuries last week, the team only diagnosed him with a concussion and whiplash, entering him into the NBA’s concussion protocol. It’s unclear if the disc herniation and torn labrum mentioned in Morgan & Morgan’s statement reflect injuries later identified by team doctors or if Parsons sought outside opinions.

Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes (via Twitter) that the Hawks have updated their injury report to mention an “associated disc injury” in addition to “concussion/whiplash” for Parsons.

Parsons wasn’t part of the Hawks’ rotation before last week’s accident, having appeared in just five games this season for the team. Now that he’s out indefinitely, it appears he may have played his last game for the franchise — his contract will expire at season’s end. Hopefully the 31-year-old can fully recover from his injuries and eventually make it back to the court.

The Hawks are ineligible to apply for a disabled player exception to replace Parsons even if his injuries are deemed season-ending, since they’re under the cap and the January 15 deadline has passed.

Hawks No Longer Pursuing Andre Drummond Trade

The Hawks traded for one veteran today but are no longer pursuing another, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who reports that Atlanta has ended its negotiations with the Pistons for center Andre Drummond.

While both sides were initially hopeful that they could work out a deal, Atlanta has decided to stay patient, recognizing that there will be chances to improve this summer in the draft and during the free agency period, sources tell Haynes.

According to Haynes, the Hawks and Pistons discussed a swap that would have sent a first-round pick, Damian Jones, and an expiring contract (either Chandler Parsons‘ or Allen Crabbe‘s) to Detroit in exchange for Drummond.

Crabbe was included in the deal the Hawks completed today with the Timberwolves for Jeff Teague, but Atlanta could’ve acquired Drummond without him, so it doesn’t appear that wasn’t a factor in the club’s decision to end trade talks with Detroit.

While the Hawks are no longer pursuing a trade for Drummond, that doesn’t mean their interest in him has disappeared. The Pistons’ big man will be one of Atlanta’s top targets in free agency if the team is still seeking a long-term answer at center at that point, sources tell Haynes. Thunder center Steven Adams, who has previously been linked to the Hawks, is still on the team’s radar and may be a target at the trade deadline or in free agency, Haynes adds.

According to Basketball Insiders’ data, the Hawks only have about $27MM in guaranteed money on their books for next season. That figure doesn’t include Jabari Parker‘s $6.5MM player option or cap holds for free agents, including potential RFAs DeAndre’ Bembry and Jones. But even after accounting for those costs, Atlanta will have more than enough cap space to aggressively pursue Drummond, Adams, or any other players they like.

The Pistons, meanwhile, continue to actively field inquiries on Drummond, according to Haynes. The Celtics, Mavericks, and Raptors were among the other teams said earlier this month to have interest in the NBA’s leading rebounder, though based on their assets and movable contracts, none of those clubs seemed to be as ideal a trade partner as Atlanta.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.