And-Ones: Parker, Team Assets, 2024 Free Agents, Pelicans, Hornets

2014 lottery pick Jabari Parker sat down for an extensive conversation with Julian Phillip of Mundo Deportivo about his new pro club, Barcelona.

When asked if he felt that Barcelona could hold its own against teams in his old league, Parker was effusive in his praise.

“Definitely,” Parker said. “Because we have, essentially, three guys who aren’t just NBA players but main guys. Myself, Sato [Tomas Satoransky] and Willy [Hernangomez], and the experience is there because we’ve been playing professionally for a long time.”

A 6’8″ forward out of Duke, Parker hasn’t suited up for an NBA team since the 2021/22 season, which he split between the Kings and Celtics. As a deep-bench reserve, he averaged 5.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 0.8 APG across just 13 total games.

Elsewhere in the interview, Parker seemed more focused on his current club, rather than looking for potential future opportunities in the NBA.

“I just want to be here,” Parker said. “My most important thing is not skipping steps. And I signed here with the intention of giving my all. I think being in the moment is very important for me.”

There’s more from around the basketball world:

• The Thunder and Spurs, both of whom possess a variety of draft picks in addition to burgeoning young talent, occupy the top two slots in a fresh ranking of team assets courtesy of HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan. Gozlan took stock of all 30 franchises’ rosters and future draft picks in making his list.
• The fates of aging future Hall of Famers like Lakers small forward LeBron James and Sixers guard James Harden number among some of the top potential 2024 free agent storylines to watch, opines Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. James, who turns 39 in December, has a player option for 2024/25, while Harden is in the final season of his deal with Philadelphia. As Pincus notes, Harden is angling to be dealt elsewhere this year.
• The G League affiliates of the Pelicans and Hornets have completed a minor trade. The Pelicans’ affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, has shipped out shooting guard John Petty Jr. and next year’s first-round NBGL draft pick to the Hornets’ affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, for the returning player rights to point guard Jalen Crutcher, Hornets’ affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, per a Swarm tweet.