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Jabari Parker had a poor showing at his workout with the Cleveland Cavaliers last Friday, and would rather go to the Milwaukee Bucks with the No. 2 pick in Thursday's draft, according to ESPN's Chad Ford:
Parker came in to work out on Friday in front of the Cavs' front office and ownership. Parker wasn't great. He was a bit heavy (he weighed in at 255 pounds), didn't shoot the ball well and got winded at times. Furthermore, two different sources told ESPN.com that Parker seemed a bit indifferent. One source said he thought Parker "tanked" the workout.
Why? A source says he strongly prefers to play in Milwaukee. The Cavs appear to be aware of this. "Jabari wasn't himself," one source said. "It was clear we weren't his first option."
The forward out of Duke still could end up in Cleveland. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported that the Cavs are "leaning toward" Parker because he's more NBA-ready than Andrew Wiggins. ESPN reported that his visit created doubt, "especially among ownership," but that he's still the most likely selection.
Parker is from Chicago, and it makes some sense that he'd want to be closer to home. If that's the case, though, then shouldn't Cleveland consider Wiggins strongly? He "was emphatic" that he wanted to be taken No. 1 when he met with the Cavs last Wednesday, according to ESPN, and he is widely considered to have a higher upside. As for him being less NBA-ready than Parker, that is only true at one end of the floor. Cleveland's been disastrous on defense, and Wiggins can help with that right away. Everyone is expecting the Cavs to take Parker, but this is an organization that tends to surprise on draft night.
