Jabari Parker has yet to declare for the NBA draft. It is possible that he wanted another year in Duke to make up for an early loss to Mercer at the NCAA tournament. It’s also possible that he wanted to take a year off and go on a Mormon mission.
Jabari Parker yet to announce but #NBA people expect him to enter #NBADraft, noting ongoing talks with prominent player-agents to pick one.
— Mark Heisler (@MarkHeisler) April 15, 2014
It turns out he’s just exploring his options. The Laker lottery position isn’t guaranteed, but with Parker declaring, another great prospect drops a position down the draft board. It would be ironic if the most polished NCAA prospect didn’t declare for the NBA draft. Regardless of the lack of success Duke had in the tournament, he can still create future success for an NBA franchise.
Some of us still hope it’s in a Laker uniform.