Report: Jabari Parker Prefers Bucks Over Cavs
(CBS) With last week's news that big man Joel Embiid has a foot fracture -- the latest in a string of injuries for him -- Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins are considered the consensus top two picks in Thursday's NBA Draft.
What order will those two dynamic young wings go in? Who knows, as rumors have swirled that the Cavs could go either way. What has now also trickled out, though, is that Parker might not desire to go first overall to Cleveland.
From ESPN.com draft insider 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."
It's not clear how much, if in any way, this affects the Cavs' thinking yet, but Parker desiring to play in Milwaukee wouldn't be surprising. It's a short trip from his hometown here of Chicago.
And the Cavs could still very well like him more than Wiggins. Parker is more polished offensively and will likely be a solid contributor on that end right away, while Wiggins is considered to have a higher ceiling and be an elite defender, though he figures to take more time to develop.
Or the Cavs could just surprise us all with a trade of different selection -- they've shocked on draft night many times before.
