Chandler Parsons not sure if he will opt out of Mavericks contract

Chandler Parsons wasn’t prepared Monday to discuss his future with the Dallas Mavericks.

The fifth-year forward can opt put of the final year of his contract with the Mavs and become a free agent this summer. But he hasn’t made a decision on if he’ll opt out of that contract and play the final season under the three-year, $46 million deal he signed with the Mavs in the summer of 2014

“It’s something, the closer to July, I’ll meet with my family and talk with my agent and talk with [owner] Mark [Cuban] and go from there.”

Parsons had season-ending surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee on March 25. Last year Parsons’ season ended after the opening game of the Mavs’ first-round playoff series against Houston, and he eventually had surgery on May 1 to repair a cartilage injury to his right knee.

Because Parsons’ surgeries in back-to-back years have been on the same knee, Cuban said he is “concerned.”

Parsons knows he could have been a factor in the Mavs’ first-round playoff series this season against Oklahoma City.

“Obviously I was in a really good groove there and a good rhythm,” Parsons said. “I’ve said many times the playoffs are the most fun time of the year, and I really think the series would be different if I was healthy and I was playing and our team was at full strength.”

Parsons said doctors took the brace off his knee Friday, “and I was able to do some standstill shooting yesterday for the first time.”

But there was a six- to eight-week recovery period.

“We have so much time now I won’t rush anything,” Parsons said. “If there were a need to pick it up and rush and get back for the next round or the [Western] Conference Finals, I could see that happening.

“But there’s so much time right now, and after playing through things last year, it’s better to be safe this year.”

Parsons averaged 18.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in his final 30 games since Jan. 12. Now, he looks ahead to a future that even he doesn’t know if it’ll include playing for the Mavs.

“I’m just glad the brace is off and glad I can start moving it and really start picking up the rehab,” Parsons said. “I have all the time in the world right now to let the knee heal and then pick it up in the summer.”

Injury woes

Lamenting his team’s numerous injuries this season, Cuban talked about players getting injections just so they could play through the injuries.

Those players include point guard Deron Williams and center David Lee.

Cuban said he couldn’t remember a season in his 16 years owning the Mavs where they suffered so many injuries. That includes center Salah Mejri (hip flexor), Williams and Lee unable to play in Game 5.

“J.J. [Barea] stepped up huge, he got hurt,” Cuban said. “D-Will stepped up huge, he gets hurt. Parsons is playing the best basketball of his career, and he gets hurt.”

Mejri also was playing some of his best basketball of his career until he was hurt in Game 4.

“I think everybody knows I’m a hustle player and sprinting is a big part of my game,” Mejri said. “I’m not Dirk [Nowitzki]. I can’t just sit there and run on the screens or shoot 3s. I need to be active, running.”

Harris disputes

Mavs guard Devin Harris said a story in Monday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that said he is a secret owner of a company that owns more than 60 rental properties in Milwaukee that piled up $193.636 in fines for building code violations from 2012-14 is totally false.

“The news story today is not only false, but is 100 perfect irresponsible journalism,” Harris, who attended college at Wisconsin, tweeted on Monday. “A shame from my hometown paper.

“I’m considering all legal remedies at this time. To my friends and fans, you know who I am and how I do things.”

No superstar

Reporters did a double-take when, prior to Monday’s game, Cuban said Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook is not a superstar.

“They’ve got one superstar [in Kevin Durant], and he plays like it and he’s good,” Cuban said. “Russell is certainly an All-Star, but I consider Durant a superstar.

“Dirk, for 15 years, won 50 games no matter what. We put Moe, Larry and Curly next to him and he won 50 games.”

Cuban went on to give his definition of a superstar.

“When you look at Dirk, all those years until now, he carried teams to 50 wins. To me that’s the sign of a superstar when you won by yourself.

“It wasn’t until we got J-Kidd that we had another Hall of Famer, and even J-Kidd was toward the end of his career. And to go 15 years when Dirk won 50, that’s a superstar.”

This story was originally published April 25, 2016 at 9:28 PM with the headline "Chandler Parsons not sure if he will opt out of Mavericks contract."