Report: Chandler Parsons to Leave Grizzlies Indefinitely, Talk Future with Team
Memphis Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons will take an indefinite leave of absence from the team, ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon reported Sunday.
According to the report, both the Grizzlies and Parsons agreed to part ways, and his agent, James Dunleavy, is working with Memphis on the specifics regarding his potential departure.
Along with the prorated portion of his $24.1 million salary for this season, Parsons is owed $25.1 million for next year as well. He's in the third year of a four-year, $94.4 million contract he signed in Memphis ahead of the 2016-17 season.
Even though he'd inevitably leave some money on the table, Parsons has plenty of incentive to agree to a buyout.
The 30-year-old has played just three games this season while battling knee problems. According to Wojnarowski, Parsons received medical clearance to return on Dec. 21, but he hasn't suited up since Memphis' 92-84 win over the Utah Jazz on Oct. 22.
Speaking with the Commercial Appeal's Mark Giannotto, Parsons said he wanted to get back on the court: "The most confusing part for me is I'm healthy. I'm medically cleared by the people I work with every single day, that are experts at this kind of stuff, so it's frustrating to watch a team struggle and I'm sitting there on the bench healthy, dying to play."
After injuries limited him to 70 games in his first two years in Memphis, Parsons' frustration is understandable. By finalizing a buyout the Grizzlies, he'd seemingly improve his odds of becoming a regular rotation player again.
Parsons shot 42.1 percent from three-point range and is a career 37.6 percent shooter from the perimeter. Plenty of teams would likely be open to signing the eight-year veteran to a short-term contract to see if he can make an impact during the second half of the season.
