Chandler Parsons, Mark Cuban's Relationship Outlined in ESPN Exclusive
Personal relationships and friendships between owners and athletes in sports are not an uncommon occurrence, though the bond Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and current Memphis Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons had during the latter's two-year stint in Dallas was unusual.
As depicted in a profile by ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Cuban and Parsons frequently spent nights going out to clubs in cities like Dallas and Las Vegas, drinking and partying to the point where Parsons basically had input on roster and personnel decisions for the Mavs:
"It wasn't long before Parsons grew to enjoy the rarest of indulgences, normally reserved for long-term superstars: Parsons became a go-to resource on personnel matters, proposing one move after another, some of which became reality.
At one point, Parsons pitched his boss on something bold: Say farewell to high-scoring free agent Monta Ellis, who clashed with Parsons and wore out his welcome with many in the Mavs organization; go all in on recruiting Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, whom Parsons believed could blossom to become the NBA's best big man and would be a perfect fit to play with him.
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MacMahon noted Cuban "rubber-stamped the plan." Ellis opted out of his deal in the summer of 2015, eventually signing a four-year deal with the Indiana Pacers.
Meanwhile, Parsons was in charge of leading the Mavs' push for Jordan, "rarely leaving Jordan's side in the weeks leading up to free agency, wining and dining the big man in his hometown of Houston and in L.A."
Cuban and Parsons would take Cuban's private jet to Los Angeles "to make sure the Mavs got the last word after Jordan wrapped up his official meetings," at which point Jordan gave Cuban a verbal commitment on a deal.
The reported agreement between Jordan and the Mavs in July 2015 was for $80 million over four years that included an opt out after three years, per MacMahon and Marc Stein.
Jordan eventually decided to re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, though the situation would have some echoes of what Parsons went through with the Mavs last summer when he opted out of his deal and entered into negotiations. As Parsons recalls:
"That was the weirdest part to me. How DeAndre was kind of starting to get shady and ignore Mark's calls, that's kind of like what Mark started doing to me. So it was like, "Damn, you know what? I get it. We're going through negotiations. I know free agency can be tough sometimes, but at the end of the day, you're my friend."
I was being avoided. I was being pushed out. I was being ignored. So awkward.
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Parsons even noted the reason he originally signed with Dallas in 2014 was because "I had an owner that was my boy and who believed in me."
Ultimately, though, Parsons said that relationship with Cuban may have ended up doing more harm than good as he sought a new contract with the Mavs.
"Looking from the outside looking in, I could see how that could rub people the wrong way," Parsons said. "My relationship with him—like, we were so cool, we were so close, I had his ear on a lot of decisions—I think that ended up biting me in the ass at the end."
The Grizzlies wound up signing Parsons to a max four-year deal worth $94 million in July, though he put the onus on Cuban for his departure.
"I obviously thought I was going to be in Dallas a lot longer than I was, but it's a business and Mark has to make decisions," Parsons said, per MacMahon. "He makes mostly all of them, so this was on him."
Cuban said he and Parsons are still friends, though MacMahon noted the Mavs owner admitted during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan's Ben and Skin Show "things other than basketball" went into letting Parsons leave.
The 28-year-old Parsons has struggled so far this season, only playing in five of the Grizzlies' 11 games and averaging a career-low 6.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
Parsons will have a chance to get his first bit of revenge against Cuban when the Mavericks host the Grizzlies on Friday night.
