This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

They were the summer's two hottest restricted free agents and both landed max deals on the market. They play the same position; both are long, athletic swingmen with diverse skill sets.

But Richard Jefferson doesn't think his new teammate, Chandler Parsons, and his old teammate, Gordon Hayward, would draw the comparisons they do if it weren't for one thing.

"I don't know if we would necessarily be talking about them together in the same sentence if they weren't both white," the Dallas Mavericks forward said before his new team tipped off against his old one.

Perhaps it is only skin deep. But on Friday night, their matchup on the court was a crucial one.

Hayward, 24, put together the better individual stat line, but Parsons and the Mavericks left with the 105-82 win.

After the game, Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said the 27-year-old Parsons was suffering from an upper respiratory illness and "probably shouldn't have played." And while Parsons struggled, going just 1-for-11 from the floor, his coach called it his "best game defensively."

"Helping hold Hayward to 12 [points] was huge in this game," Carlisle said. "[Hayward] is going to be a future all-star in this league."

That's something coaches believe the two have in common.

Carlisle believes "by the time the All-Star break rolls around, people are going to look at him and say [Parsons] is one of the best young players in the league."

Hayward is in the same category.

"Hayward's a terrific player, too," Carlisle said. "They're both going to get better and better as time goes on."

There are high expectations for both players from their respective franchises after each netted a lucrative deal in the offseason. This summer, Hayward signed a $63-million max offer sheet with Charlotte, a deal the Jazz opted to match. Parsons, meanwhile, signed a three-year max deal with Dallas and Houston opted to let him leave.

"I think they're both really good players. You start there," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said in comparing the two. "There is a versatility component for both of them. They're capable of making plays with the ball for their teammates and making plays for themselves. They both have good size and are multiple-position guys."

Jefferson himself sees similarities other than skin color. They're both athletic and quick and on the rise, he said, though "Chandler is a lot more aggressive consistently."

And there's one more thing the veteran said they share.

"Trust me," Jefferson said, "they get annoyed with the comparisons. I've been on both sides now, and they actually like playing against each other because of those comparisons."

— Aaron Falk