Jabari Parker is no longer a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. He’ll be joining the Chicago Bulls, his hometown team and a rival of the Bucks. News came out over the weekend that Parker received a 2-year deal for 40 million dollars with a team option for a second year. The range of emotions from Bucks fans have been off the chart in both directions. Some people believe the Bucks made the right move and others believe this is a disastrous move that will haunt the Bucks for years to come. I’ve made peace with Parker’s departure and why the Bucks did it.

Sometimes, people need a change, period. Jabari needed a change. It is unfortunate that he went to Chicago and not Sacramento or Atlanta. But he made the move for a change of scenery to get away from everything involving Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo got too big for Parker, and he was never able to deal with it. Parker believed he would be the star of the team, but then he hurt his knee twice while Giannis went through an unbelievable transition. People loved Parker, but that love wasn’t the same as Giannis’. The former second pick overall knew that and it greatly bothered him. You could see it in his eyes.

For the people who say ‘You can’t let a guy walk for nothing’, Bucks didn’t make a decision on Parker until speaking with Mike Budenholzer about it. Let it be known that Budenholzer played a large role in this decision. He doesn’t see a way Parker fitting in his offense. Budenholzer does not want to deal with his poor defensive skills and trying to fix them after two torn ACL’s. Bucks fans have to realize that the team didn’t want Parker. People may say that’s a mistake, but we’ll see in the next couple of years.

If this move is like the others in Bucks history, this will be a nightmare. But if we think about it, this feels very much like the Green Bay Packers. Cross-sports comparisons usually fucking suck, but hear me out. Green Bay got rid of many players who were past their prime. While Parker hasn’t even hit his prime, he could be washed up, and Milwaukee may know it. We may not. Let’s see what happens.

Charlie.