The Boston Celtics both abandoned the top 2 pick to select Jabari Parker, according to the sport's Shams Charania. Parker, who was just a seven-year veteran at the age of 26, has now served six NBA teams. Five teams came in the last three seasons.
Parker, a former electronic scorer, has struggled with injuries that have constrained his offense. He's a 32.1 percent career three-point shooter, so he's been trying to compensate for the newfound physical constraints, and he famously declared that NBA teams "don't pay players to defend." Without elite scores within the three-point line, Parker's effectiveness is significantly diminished.
But there's a reason this decision was made now, especially. Parker's contract with the Celtics is very friendly. Only $100,000 in pre-season assurance. Assuming he's on the list on opening night, the assurance gold will increase to $1.1 million. Assuming he's been on the team all season, he could have made $2.3 million. Now, the Celtics have saved most of their money.
This is a merit they have done. According to Spotrac, Boston paid more than $6.8 million in luxury taxes on Sunday. Ditching Parker would cut that total, but assuming the Celtics want to avoid taxes altogether, they'll have to buy and sell a more valuable player. The clear and lucid nominee is Juan Jo Hernangomez, who earns more than $7 million a year, but is easy to buy and sell, as his salary for the 2022-23 season is not guaranteed. Boston didn't immediately face the need for tax cuts, but with all contract extensions this offseason, doing so may be a priority. Immediately after Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as well as Robert Williams and Marcus Intelligence, everything is sold for value, and Boston may expect to delay the beginning of the successor tax clock.
Parker is likely to be a victim of this financial reality. The current situation is extremely unfavorable to him, and the subsequent roster was basically confirmed before the start of the season on Tuesday, so he may have to wait for the situation elsewhere to change before he can find another list.