Rick Carlisle says Chandler Parsons isn’t in shape (yet)

We knew in early June the Rockets would decline Chandler Parsons’ team option, making him a free agent. Surely, Parsons knew then or sooner.

So, even though Houston didn’t officially make the move until June 30 and Parsons signed an offer sheet with the Mavericks 10 days later, that left a long time where Parsons had one priority – don’t get injured.

In his first three NBA seasons, Parsons earned a total of less than $1 million. Suddenly, he stood the chance of netting a max contract.

He – wisely – wasn’t going to screw that up by pushing himself too hard in training.

But that left a consequence for Parsons and his new team.

Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News:

The coach was asked about whether Parsons has put on pounds to allow him to contribute at power forward behind Dirk Nowitzki.

“One man’s bulking up,” Carlisle said, “is another man’s not quite in shape yet.”

“He will be shortly,” Carlisle said when asked if Parsons is in the kind of condition he needs to be. “This summer, he didn’t work out during his free-agency period, which is smart. I wouldn’t recommend him doing that, either.

There’s still plenty of time for Parsons to get in shape. The season won’t begin for nearly another month.

Parsons’ skills will carry him in the meantime. He made Team USA’s final cut in August despite not yet being in shape.

If Parsons is still out of shape as the regular season gets underway, the Mavericks can worry about his near-max salary affecting his mindset. Until then, this isn’t a big deal. Many players league-wide use training camp to get back in shape after a summer away.