You have to hand it to them — no one does homecoming pressers like the Bulls.
They hosted another one Wednesday, using the United Center Atrium to introduce former Simeon standout Jabari Parker.
“A dream come true,’’ said Parker, who spoke just a bounce pass away from the Michael Jordan statue.
Coincidentally, a statue that actually might be willing to play better defense than the 2014 No. 2 overall pick.
“This is an exciting day for the Bulls’ organization, and we view this as a very important signing for our franchise,’’ vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said. “We talked a lot about direction in the last year and how we had a little bit of a rebuild situation, and we feel this signing fits perfectly into the direction we chose. We’re adding another young, talented player to our roster, someone with great versatility. Someone who is very skilled as far as passing, handling, can play in a team-system offense. So it is exciting to add to the current young guys that we have.’’
Maybe, but it comes with a price.
Two years and $40 million, even with the Bulls controlling the option for that second season.
A steep price? Not really, especially considering the amount of money the organization has dumped into “hometown kids’’ since Derrick Rose signed his extension before the 2012 season. But it’s still a price.
What should concern Bulls fans regarding Parker is how much of the decision to sign him was related to basketball and how much was related to marketing?
The Bulls have failed in both departments when it comes to homecomings.
Rose signed a five-year, $94.3 million deal, which at the time seemed like it came from heaven and was handed down to the team.
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Yes, Rose’s knee betrayed him, but once the curtain was pulled back on his generational athleticism, what was left was a player who was unwilling to adapt his game, a low basketball IQ and a guy who cared more about his brand than his team.
Once he finally was traded to the Knicks in the 2016 offseason, the Bulls had paid about $73 million of that deal with a record of 185-143 — often without Rose healthy — never getting beyond the Eastern Conference semifinals and totally Rose-d out with his drama.
Then came Dwyane Wade’s homecoming. His initial price tag was two years and $47 million.
The Bulls went 41-41 in his first season and had the top-seeded Celtics on the ropes in the first round of the playoffs with a 2-0 series lead. But Rajon Rondo was lost to injury, and the Bulls lost four in a row.
They chose to rebuild after that season, and they were forced to buy out Wade once they traded Jimmy Butler. Of the $47 million owed to the Wade, he collected about $38.7 million.
Now comes Parker.
If he plays out the next two years in his hometown, the Bulls would have invested $181.3 million in hometown-kid marketing over an eight-year period, being on the hook for $151.7 million of it.
And for what?
Yes, it gives the home fans something to scream about when players are introduced “From Chicago …’’
Yes, some media folks eat it up, reliving the nights they swear they spent “watching D-Rose in the Simeon gym as a junior.’’
But if the goal is chasing a seventh championship, it has been an expensive fail.
So, again, is this organization about basketball or marketing?
It’s Parker’s turn to help answer that.
