Chandler Parsons is tired of waiting. While the entire NBA awaits the free agency decisions of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh, other players are being forced to put their futures on hold as well. Players like Luol Deng, Trevor Ariza and Pau Gasol are backup plans for many teams, but will not know what their future holds until one of the big three players signs a contract. However, Parsons is tired of the uncertainty and he made the first move towards a new team which could leave the Houston Rockets in a hole.
According to ESPN.com and several social media photos, Parsons has signed an offer sheet from the Dallas Mavericks worth three years and $45 million. The restricted free agent will now wait and see if the Houston Rockets opt to match that deal or not. The team has three days to decide. The offer sheet comes after the Mavericks noted they were making the forward a priority in the offseason. Owner Mark Cuban appears to have come to the realization that he has lost the battle for Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James.
The Rockets are hoping that Anthony, James and Bosh make their decision in the next 48 hours. The Rockets have already placed a max contract at the feet of Bosh and would certainly welcome Anthony to join along with him. After trading Omer Asik and agreeing in principal to a deal to move Jeremy Lin, the Rockets have cap space to use. However, if they land Bosh and Anthony, Parsons is gone. If neither player sign to Houston, Parsons is likely headed nowhere.
With Parsons possibly out of the mix, the Rockets are already taking precautions to replace him. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, Houston has contacted Deng, Ariza and Paul Pierce about potential deals in the offseason. This is the route most teams are taking. Deng and Ariza headline the second-tier group of free agents, so there is plenty of competition. The Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers are all in play for both players so the Rockets must move fast.
Pierce has been starved for attention on the free agent market. The Brooklyn Nets ideally would like to bring him back, but his contract demands are too high. The Los Angeles Clippers are interested as well, but again, for the right price. He seems like an unlikely target for the Rockets unless the team is out of other options.
