The Memphis Grizzlies had a tough year on the basketball court. They battled through tons of injuries, and yet somehow still made the playoffs without most of their essential pieces.
One of those pieces was point guard Mike Conley, who has spent his entire career with the Grizzlies. Conley is set to be a free agent this offseason, and with good point guard play more coveted than ever, there’s a good chance that Conley has played his last game in a Grizzlie’s uniform.
ESPN’s Ian Begley put it into perspective, including Justin Timberlake as a pitchman for the Grizz:
Here’s a bit of potentially good news for those Knicks fans interested in free agent Mike Conley: some members of the Grizzlies front office are growing a bit concerned about the possibility of Conley leaving in free agency, per a source with knowledge of the situation. Memphis, which plans on using a video featuring Grizzlies part-owner Justin Timberlake as part of its recruiting pitch, per a source, can offer Conley a five-year deal worth approximately $124 million. Other clubs can ink Conley to a max contract for four years worth approximately $92 million. Both Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek and GM Steve Mills has mentioned point guard as a position of emphasis for New York this offseason.
The Grizzlies certainly have money in their favor, and it surely doesn’t hurt to have a superstar like Justin Timberlake wanting you to stick around for the franchise. But the future of the franchise is very much up in the air, and Conley could very well find other situations around the league much more attractive, despite not being able to make as much money as he could in Memphis.
The 28-year-old point guard out of Ohio State has averaged 13.6 points, and 5.6 assists for the Grizzlies over his career, and has shown improvements almost every season that he’s been in the league.
With all of the chatter surrounding bigger name free agents Conley is a player that should and will be on many teams’ radars in the weeks ahead.
[ESPN]
