Injuries Suck, But Chandler Parsons’ Latest Injury Proves Mavs Right

With Chandler Parsons in the first year of his $94 million deal in Memphis, his latest injury proves the Mavericks right in letting him walk in free agency.

When Chandler Parsons bolted Houston for Dallas a few summers ago, the Mavericks were ecstatic to land possibly a future cornerstone of the franchise.

Parsons came into Dallas and played a stellar first half of his first season before having hybrid micro fracture surgery on his knee in March of 2014. Parsons would miss the rest of the season and appear in just one playoff game that season.

Last year, in Parsons’ second year in Dallas, he would start the year on a minute restriction only to have surgery on his meniscus in March and miss the rest of the season for the Mavs. He would never play another game in a Mavericks jersey again.

That summer, Parsons elected to opt out of the last year of his three-year deal to become an unrestricted free agent. Thinking that Cuban & Co. was bringing him back, Parsons got a stark surprise when the Mavericks elected to let him walk.

Back on the Chris Vernon Podcast in the Fall, Parsons had this to say in regards to free agency.

"“Yeah, they and Mark had insinuated that I was coming back. I was looking for houses in Dallas. I thought it was a done deal. Obviously when it comes to medical and two surgeries in one year it’s no joke. After talking with them I know it was a medical decision because I still have a great relationship with mostly all of them.”“Me and you just went through the ringer last summer with DeAndre. Then it got to me and Cuban back-and-forth, almost deal done, to him ignoring me. Just wait, now you are DeAndreing me? I get the business side of it but I thought we were boys.”"

Parsons is honest in the fact that he knows that Dallas let him walk for nothing because they were not sold on his knee problems. That summer, Parsons would sign a four year, $94 million deal with the Memphis Grizzlies.

After playing in just six of the first 30 games of the season in Memphis, the recovery road for Parsons has been brutal. Now, 67 games into the season, Parsons has appeared in just 34 of them and is averaging career low numbers in every main category.

Then news broke on Monday concerning Parsons’ status for the rest of the season.

The Memphis Grizzlies officially announced that Parsons had a partial tear in his meniscus and is out indefinitely, which ESPN’s Tim MacMahon says is season ending.

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Now, for the Mavs fans that crucified Cuban & Co. for letting him walk this summer, the decision is looked at as a big win for the Mavericks organization.

I am not condoning injuries by no means, but the medical team in Dallas was right and them not handing out $94 million to Parsons was a win for the franchise moving forward. What did the Mavericks do with the money that would have went to Chandler Parsons?

They signed Harrison Barnes to a max contract and what a breakout season Barnes has had in Dallas.

Barnes has played in all 66 games this season for the Mavericks and is averaging a career high in points with over 20 ppg. He has been a breath of fresh air in somewhat of a rocky season in Dallas and looks to be a young cornerstone of the post-Dirk future.

Next: Dallas Mavericks 2017 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0

As Mavs fans, we wish Parsons nothing but the best in his injury recovery. But for a franchise that has made some questionable free agent decisions in the past, they got this one right in letting Parsons walk.