For some reason, I'm remembering that the Jazz didn't have a roster spot - or they had extra draft picks that year that they didn't have spots for everyone they would/could pick, so they were hoping to get someone who would wait in Europe for a year or 2.

I guess you could say it comes down to paying guys - and not wanting to pay a guy with a guaranteed contract that they then cut to make room for Parker. But I don't think saying they didn't want to pay a rookie contract is completely accurate. Rookie contracts are cheap.