Jabari Parker Trade Rumors: Jason Kidd Tried to Trade Bucks Star in Rookie Year

Former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd reportedly suggested the organization should trade forward Jabari Parker during his rookie season after he was selected second overall in the 2014 NBA draft.

On Tuesday, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times reported Kidd and Parker didn't have a strong relationship during the coach's tenure, with an unnamed player saying he was "really tough on Jabari when I was there and he shouldn't have been. He had no reason to do that. Jabari is a good kid."

The 22-year-old Chicago native downplayed any rift between himself and Kidd, however, and said he contacted him after the firing was announced.

"He was my coach for four years and it's always been a good relationship," Parker told reporters. "Any coach in a head position, we're going to have disagreements, but most importantly he helped me. That's what I look at. I was saddened to hear the news because that's the only guy I've known so far (as head coach). I reached out to him (Monday)."

The highly touted Duke product was limited to 25 games during his debut campaign before suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in December 2014. He tore the ACL in the same knee last February and is in the final stages of his recovery.

When healthy, he's been a solid contributor for the Bucks. He's averaged 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 49.1 percent from the field across 152 appearances.

While it's unclear whether the Bucks actually considered trading Parker, he's now getting close to joining a squad fighting to stay inside the top eight of the Eastern Conference. They are 24-22, two games clear of the Detroit Pistons for the final playoff spot.

He'll likely back up both forward positions behind starters Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, giving interim head coach Joe Prunty a chance to monitor his minutes after his second major knee injury.