Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press
Jabari Parker will try to relive his career in Boston.
The 26-year-old forward, who was released by the Sacramento Kings on March 25, has agreed to a two-year deal with the Celtics, according to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic on Friday.
Parker, the No. 2 overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2014, started his career strong, but things slowed down after joining the Kings in February 2020. The team used its player option to retain him for 2020-21. , but he seldom went to court.
The Duke product has appeared in three games, although on two separate occasions it has been restricted by the league’s health and safety protocols and missed one game for personal reasons. In his short appearance, he averaged 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds through an average of nine minutes on the hardwood, a year away from his six-game campaign in his half-season with the Kings.
Sacramento was willing to trade him before this year’s deadline, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, but he could not find a willing partner.
Parker came to Sacramento from 32 games in Atlanta, where he averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. That was an indication of the good form he showed in 2016-’17, when he averaged 20.1 points on 49.0 percent with 6.2 rebounds per game for the Bucks.
While never making his lead in Sacramento, Parker will get the chance to start fresh with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and others. in Boston.