The Atlanta Hawks are waiving forward Chandler Parsons to clear roster space for their trade acquisition of Clint Capela, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Parsons, who suffered "multiple severe injuries" in a January car collision, appeared in only five of Atlanta's games this season. By making the move, Atlanta sheds Parsons' expiring $25.1 million contract.
Parsons' legal representation, Morgan & Morgan, wrote his "ability to return to play is unclear" in a post-accident statement. Police charged the driver who struck Parsons with driving under the influence. Once a vaunted two-way player for the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks, injuries derailed Parsons career significantly.
Parsons, 31, signed a four-year, $94M deal with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2016. However, he played only 45 games over three seasons while battling numerous knee injuries. Atlanta offloaded Solomon Hill and Miles Plumlee in a roster-clearing move for Parsons last summer.
The Hawks reportedly acquired Capela and Nene in a four-team deal on Wednesday, a deal in which they gave a first-round pick and guard Evan Turner to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 12 players involved in the trade represents the most since 2000, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks. In Atlanta, Capela will pair with first-time All-Star Trae Young, forming a potentially dangerous pick-and-roll duo. Capela, though, has missed time recently with a heel injury.
The Rockets selected Parsons, a four-year player out of Florida, with the 38th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-10 swingman excelled early, averaging 9.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals as a rookie. Parsons ascended even further in 2012-13 -- especially as a shooter. That season, Parsons shot a career-best 38 percent from deep, helping raise his scoring average six points -- from 9.5 to 15.5. After the 2013-14 season, Parsons left the Rockets to join the cross-state rival Mavericks. Parsons played two seasons in Dallas before signing the Memphis deal in 2016.
