Jabari Parker could return to Joventut, but a return to Barca looks difficult

American power forward Jabari Parker made statements about his future in an interview covering his short and difficult period at Partizan Belgrade. Parker said he could return to Joventut, but noted that this door is always open.

Parker spoke to Serbian SportKlub about how things have progressed at Partizan. The player said he has a special affection for the Badalona club, where he arrived on loan for the final part of the 2025-2026 season. He described his time at Joventut as one of the best decisions of his career.

With Parker's contributions, Joventut reached the semi-finals of the Liga Endesa. The team eliminated Baskonia in the quarter-finals, but lost in the semi-finals to Valencia Basket, who went on to win the season's title. In his short spell in Badalona, Parker averaged 12.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

On Barcelona, Parker was more cautious. He had transferred to Partizan in the summer of 2025 after two seasons in a Barcelona shirt. The player said many of the people he knew at the club are no longer in the team, and for this reason he described a return to Barcelona as difficult.

The biggest change at Partizan was the departure of head coach Zeljko Obradovic, who had brought him to the club. Parker said he did not fully understand the decision but respects it. He had previously worked with his replacement, Joan Penarroya, at Barcelona. However, after a heel injury, as he gradually returned to training, Penarroya told him to leave the court and work on a stationary bike.