Chicago native Jabari Parker has a house sitter, so he’ll be OK after returning to town after Saturday night’s Bulls game in Charlotte.

His concern about the city’s deep freeze is for those less fortunate.

“I feel bad, honestly, for the homeless people,” he said Wednesday. “They don’t have awareness because what TV do they have?”

Wednesday’s night game against the Heat was supposed to mark the final time that Chicagoan Dwyane Wade faced his former team. But Wade missed the game with knee soreness.

“D-Wade inspired me to have pride in my city,” Parker said. “He also influenced me to come here, to Chicago.”

Parker’s up-down-and-up season has been well-documented. The highest-paid player on the team has logged zero minutes 13 times. But he scored 22 points Tuesday in Brooklyn and drew praise from coach Jim Boylen for gutting it out Wednesday despite an elbow injury.

Asked if he regrets signing with the Bulls, Parker replied: “You know, that’s a question for later. I cannot answer that right now. I don’t want no problems. It is what it is. “

He also said he appreciates Boylen giving him an extended run against the Nets:

“The points are one thing, the minutes are another,” he said. “I’m so glad that Coach trusted me to play that long; I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

tgreenstein@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @TeddyGreenstein

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