Chandler Parsons Opts out of Mavericks Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons opted out of his $16 million player option for the 2016-17 season on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon and the Star-Telegram's Dwain Price. 

MacMahon noted:

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Parsons will follow through on his plans to become a free agent despite Mavs owner Mark Cuban's attempts to convince Parsons to opt in for the final season of his three-year, $46 million contract, sources told ESPN.com. With the salary cap spiking to a projected $94 million this summer, Parsons' camp expects him to receive a significant raise in free agency.

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Parsons, 27, averaged 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in the 2015-16 season, though injuries limited him to 61 games. A meniscus tear ended his season in late March, and he missed the team's postseason series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Parsons' right knee has become an issue of late, costing him time at the end of the 2014-15 season due to soreness. 

While Parsons chose to opt out of his contract, there is still a strong chance he could return to the Mavericks on a more lucrative deal. In late April, he offered a recruiting pitch for reported free-agent center Dwight Howard.

"Yeah, for sure," Parsons said when asked if he'd like to reunite with Howard, per MacMahon. "I think he can still dominate the game. I think he can still be a great player in this league. And I think he's going to leave Houston. So why not come here?"

A recruiting pitch is hardly a guarantee that Parsons will return, but it doesn't seem like the sort of thing a player would say if he had already decided to sign elsewhere.

The Mavericks will certainly hope to retain Parsons. If Howard is taken by Dallas, the Mavericks could be a scary team next year, especially if Dirk Nowitzki remains in Dallas and is still playing excellent basketball with a veteran lineup behind him.

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