SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ Jabari Parker came into the NBA with a big name and a big game that evoked comparisons to Carmelo Anthony and Paul Pierce. Injuries have prevented Parker from achieving that level of stardom over his first six seasons in the league, but he still possesses the kind of talent that made him an elite pro prospect.
Kings general manager Vlade Divac and coach Luke Walton are eager to see what Parker can do in Sacramento. The Kings acquired Parker on Wednesday in a trade that sent Dewayne Dedmon back to the Atlanta Hawks. Walton is well aware of Parker's history of injuries, but he still sees potential in the 24-year-old forward who was chosen by the Milwaukee Bucks with the second pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
"In today's NBA, a lot of times we give up on players a little too soon," Walton said. "There's a reason he was the No. 2 pick. He's a young man with a lot of talent and he knows how to play this game. It's unfortunate he's had the injuries, but we're going to try to get him in with the group as quickly as possible and see what we have."
Divac held a news conference to discuss the trade prior to Saturday's 122-102 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at Golden 1 Center. The Kings sent Dedmon and two second-round draft picks to the Hawks in exchange for Parker and center Alex Len. Divac said Dedmon's poor play "definitely wasn't what we expected" and he was disappointed when Dedmon went public with his trade request, but he is happy to have Parker and Len now.
"We got a couple good players," Divac said. "Jabari is a player we loved the last couple years and finally we were able to bring him to our team."
Parker and Len both arrived in Sacramento with lingering injuries. Parker missed 20 of his last 21 games in Atlanta due to a right shoulder impingement. Len missed 10 of his last 12 games with the Hawks due to lower back pain and a strained right hip flexor. Neither player is expected to be out much longer.
Parker said he has been cleared for full-contact basketball activities. He practiced with the Kings on Friday and is eager to suit up for a team that has won three in a row and six of its last eight.
"I feel good," Parker said. "I'm just trying to get as many practices in as possible before I try to get in games. Preparation is very key, especially where our team is right now. I don't want to slow us up. ... If it was up to me, I would play today, but it's not up to me."
Parker, a 6-foot-8 power forward, was a prep star in Chicago who received scholarship offers from Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina, among others. He spent one season at Duke before starting his NBA career in Milwaukee. Parker tore his left ACL twice early in his career, first as a rookie in 2014 and again in 2017, forcing him to miss 145 games over his first four seasons with the Bucks.
Parker signed with the Chicago Bulls in July 2018. He appeared in 39 games for the Bulls, but he was removed from the team's rotation shortly after Jim Boylen took over as head coach. Parker was traded to the Washington Wizards in February 2019. He signed a two-year, $13 million contract with the Hawks in July, a deal that includes a player option for the 2020-21 season.
Parker appeared in 32 games for the Hawks this season, including 23 starts. He averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game. He played a big role while John Collins was suspended early in the season, averaging 17.7 points and 7.5 rebounds in November. He had 25 points and eight rebounds against the Kings on Nov. 8. He had 33 points, 14 rebounds and five assists against the Bucks on Nov. 27.
Parker once commented in a radio interview that "they don't pay players to play defense." He was asked about those remarks Saturday in his first interview in Sacramento.
"I'm a man," Parker said. "As an adult, you have to stand by what you say, and I learned from it. I know who I am at the end of the day, so I don't need to explain the type of individual I am. I give this game my all."
Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox said he believes Parker still has a lot of potential.
"He's still young," Fox said. "He's been in the NBA for five or six years, so it seems like he's a bit older, but he came out as a really young guy, and I think he still has a lot of room for growth. Everybody in this league knows he can play."
Kings center Harry Giles III agreed. Parker appears to be taking up residence in the locker next to Giles. The two of them shared a moment of celebration Saturday when Duke beat North Carolina in dramatic fashion about an hour before the Kings played the Spurs.
"He's great _ great player, even better person," Giles said. "He's on a new team so he gets new energy and a new opportunity. I think he's going to be great."
