Mavs' Free-Agent Carousel Says Parsons In, Marion Out

It’s a short list, but Chandler Parsons may be at the top of it.

As in, is Parsons the biggest free-agent splash in the Dallas Mavericks’ Mark Cuban era? To cement that legacy, he’ll have to be better than the man he’s ultimately replacing as the starting small forward: Shawn Marion.

The unimaginable LeBron James-back-to-Cleveland domino started a flurry of fascinating NBA transactions last week, including Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks and Chris Bosh returning to Miami and, therefore, not signing with the Rockets. So while Houston dreamed of a lineup boasting Howard, Parsons, Anthony and James Harden, they instead crapped out of free agency and didn’t match Dallas’ offer to their small forward.

Houston’s loss is indeed Dallas’ gain, as Parsons will be a Maverick in 2014 and beyond.

It’s really the first time in Cuban’s ownership that the Mavs have landed a free agent who is an impact starter with a career on the rise. At 6-9 and with both an outside shooting touch and deft shooting and passing skills, Parsons should be the perfect fit in between Monta Ellis’ penetrating and Dirk Nowitzki’s post-ups.

The arrival of Parsons almost assuredly signals the departure of Marion, who can now only get a $2.7 million exception from the Mavs. If and when he leaves, the number of players left from the 2011 championship team will be down to one (Nowitzki, er, plus Tyson Chandler, make it two). But, for the first time, the Mavs’ roster will feel like it’s being upgraded.
 

A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.

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