Jabari Parker on Future with Bucks: 'Honestly, It's Uncertain'

Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker admitted his future with the team is "uncertain" as he heads into restricted free agency this summer. 

"Honestly, it's uncertain," Parker told Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post. "I know that, just looking from afar, [the Bucks] will be fine. But I just have to see what's going to happen with my future, and that's uncertain. But I know for them, they'll be fine regardless. They've been doing well."

Parker, 23, was considered a franchise cornerstone after the Bucks took him with the No. 2 selection in 2015. However, a pair of ACL tears and the ascents of Giannis Antetokounmpo and other young players have rendered him a secondary piece in Milwaukee's plans.

The Bucks' salaries are projected at $103.1 million for the 2018-19 season, not counting Parker, per Hoopshype. That puts them well over the cap, and they're unlikely to find a player of Parker's caliber available for the mid-level exception.

Parker has been solid since returning from injury, averaging 11.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per game. From a per-36 perspective, those numbers are the second-best of his career, trailing only his 2016-17 campaign. For a player coming back from his second major injury in four years, all signs are relatively positive for Parker heading into the summer.

The juxtaposition between Parker's skill set (a potential solid second banana) and his injury history (a ton of red flags) will create a naturally difficult contract negotiation. The Philadelphia 76ers and center Joel Embiid, who missed a majority of his first three years in the NBA, wound up striking a middle ground by tying guarantees in his contract to playing-time incentives. 

"You just have to be prepared," he said. "Prepare for the worst. Anything can happen. I've seen it happen a lot of times. So I just would like to keep that mentality because you never want to be comfortable in this business."

The overwhelming odds are that Parker is wearing a Bucks uniform next season, if only temporarily. There's no real incentive for them to allow him to walk without receiving some compensation. Should they match an offer Parker receives in restricted free agency, he would have veto power on any trade for the 2018-19 season.

This feels like it's headed down a road where the Bucks tell Parker to go out and find his best offer, with the full intention of matching.