New York Knicks: Jabari Parker interest in line with rebuild strategy

After taking on quite a few reclamation projects, it makes sense the New York Knicks are interested in another with Jabari Parker.

Aside from their work in the draft, probably the biggest strategy the New York Knicks have undertaken under this new regime has been to take fliers on players with any sort of potential in order to see if they’re worth keeping long-term.

It started with Trey Burke mid-way through last season, and the list has gone on to include others such as Emmanuel Mudiay, Mario Hezonja and Noah Vonleh.

New York has essentially become a home for forgotten players looking to re-establish themselves in the league, and so far it’s worked out pretty well for the Knicks, who have gotten tremendous value out of most of these once highly-touted prospects.

It appears another such player could be on their way in the near future. Jabari Parker seems to be headed for a breakup with the Chicago Bulls, and the Knicks have reportedly expressed some interest in the 23-year-old according to ESPN’s Ian Begley.

The No. 2 overall pick from the 2014 draft, Parker has had quite the roller coaster ride in just four NBA seasons, having torn his ACL twice while going from franchise cornerstone to expected sixth man as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Now, after a failed homecoming which included some rather eye-opening comments about his commitment to defense, the next step for Parker is anyone’s guess, and that’s where the Knicks come in.

Coach David Fizdale has done a tremendous job so far of holding his players accountable and getting them to play hard, and it’s led to career-best seasons for guys like Mudiay and Vonleh.

Parker has his flaws, but he’s a tremendous offensive threat from inside the 3-point line who averaged a hair over 20 points per game just two seasons ago.

And because his contract contains a player option for the second year, should Parker not pan out, New York can simply cut bait and save money in the process, a tactic they’ve employed with several of their players.

A guy like Parker can’t have nothing left to give at such a young age. A lot of success is predicated on the circumstances, and maybe it’s possible the former Blue Devil just hasn’t found his best yet.

The Knicks may not be that, but from their perspective, it can create more cap room for this summer while also giving them an up-close low-cost look at a guy many believed was destined for greatness not long ago.