Free Agency To The Doghouse: Smush Parker’s Short Run With Pat Riley & Miami Heat

The Florida Sun Sentinel reports on Miami and Smush Parker parting ways:

Smush Parker apparently has played his last game for the Heat. Two sources familiar with the situation said Thursday the Heat is searching for trade options for the troubled point guard, who is eligible to be dealt starting Saturday. Parker has been isolated from the team since a run-in with a valet-parking attendant last month. For now, the Heat is listing Parker as inactive due to conditioning concerns. However, word is there is an agreement with agent Billy Ceisler to deal Parker as soon as possible.

My Very Quick Take: Parker’s run in Miami is ending, but did it ever start?

The combo guard signed with Miami in the summer, quickly fell into Riley’s doghouse at training camp, rode the bench for November, got into an argument with a parking attendant, and is now waiting for a one-way ticket out of South Beach.

Got all that? Of course, Parker also had beef with Phil Jackson last year, which killed his time in Los Angeles.

Two years, two run-ins with Hall of Fame sideline bosses. Parker, after scrapping his way into the NBA, may be leaving the league with a whimper. 

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Riley is also to blame for this situation. The oil-slick signed Parker over the summer despite his well-publicized feud with Coach Jackson.

Riley and Jackson have always had a professional and personal rivalry, but the Gucci sideline boss shouldn’t have disregarded the warning signs from out west.

Will Smush find himself out of the NBA? Should Riley have steered clear of Parker? Get at us in the comment box or hit us up in HoopsVibe’s new fan forum at http://www.hoopsvibe.com/forum.

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