Knicks trade rumors: ‘Preliminary interest’ expressed in Jabari Parker

The New York Knicks have expressed preliminary interest in trading for Jabari Parker, but nothing is imminent, according to ESPN’s Ian Begley.

The New York Knicks have stayed quiet on the trade market since February, when Emmanuel Mudiay was acquired for Doug McDermott in a three-team trade. They made draft picks and free-agent signings since, but nothing with another team.

Whether that changes soon is unknown, but the Knicks have at least preliminary trade interest in Jabari Parker of the Chicago Bulls, according to ESPN’s Ian Begley. Nothing is imminent between the two sides, though.

This follows Parker’s demotion from the rotation on Dec. 15, one of the multiple noteworthy acts from Bulls head coach Jim Boylen, who took over for the fired Fred Hoiberg earlier this month.

Before a trip to the bench, Parker appeared in 29 games for the Bulls, averaging 15.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 45.5 percent shooting and 29.3 percent on three-pointers.

Parker signed a two-year, $40 million contract with Chicago in the offseason, with the second season as a team option. His money was split evenly between the two years.

This came after four injury-riddled seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, who selected him No. 2 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. He found momentum at times, including 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds in his third season, but recurring knee ailments sidelined him and resulted in playing just 25, 76, 51 and 31 games across his years there, respectively.

The Knicks have the salaries to match for Parker. Enes Kanter‘s $18.62 million is nearly a perfect fit, but swapping expiring contracts might not move the needle for either team; Parker’s can be treated as such due to the team option.

Alternatively, the Knicks can find a way to send Courtney Lee‘s contract. However, that means Chicago takes two years of guaranteed money, potentially forcing New York to attach an asset to a deal.

If so, and it’s a draft pick, Mario Hezonja‘s $6.5 million is a viable piece to add to Lee’s $12.25 million and come close enough to match the salaries.

With the Knicks already clearing cap space, Parker would probably not have a long-term future with the organization, making a decline of his team option inevitable. His fit is questionable, as well, even on this year’s roster, with Noah Vonleh and Kevin Knox performing positively at forward.

As Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic noted, however, the Knicks like to take chances on former lottery picks that failed elsewhere. They did so with Hezonja, Vonleh, Trey Burke and Emmanuel Mudiay, all of whom have found various degrees of success.

Parker may not become a Knick, but the possibility, and the potential aftermath, is intriguing. The contracts are high enough for the front office to toy with, so will they follow through on this preliminary interest?