The Boston Celtics are bringing in some bench depth, adding Jabari Parker.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Celtics agreed to a two-year deal with Parker. In a corresponding move, they are waiving Moe Wagner.
Parker spent this season with the Sacramento Kings up until getting waived right after the trade deadline. At the time, it was believed that Parker’s NBA future might be in jeopardy, but Danny Ainge obviously views him as an upgrade over Wagner, who was being used sparingly by the Celtics in the nine games he played since landing in Boston at the trade deadline.
The 26-year-old Parker had only played in three games this season with Sacramento, averaging 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per contest. He’s never lived up to his draft slot, having gone No. 2 overall in 2014. His most successful season came in 2016-17, when he averaged 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game across 51 contests.
Historically a defensive liability, Parker has proven at his best to be a useful scorer, averaging 14 points per game as recently as last season. It would be unfair to expect him to provide the Celtics with a huge jolt offensively, but, again, he must be viewed more favorably than Wagner.
