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2017 NBA free agency grades: Grizzlies to add Tyreke Evans

By Nicholas Agar-Johnson

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 27: Tyreke Evans
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 27: Tyreke Evans /
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In yet another move linking the Memphis Grizzlies to the Sacramento Kings this offseason, Tyreke Evans agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal to go to Memphis.

The Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings have been swapping players since the start of free agency. Ben McLemore moved from Sacramento to Memphis, and Zach Randolph and Vince Carter moved to Sacramento.

That trend continues with another Grizzlies signing, as ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Tyreke Evans will join the Grizzlies on a one-year, $3.3 million contract.

Evans has markedly declined since his incredible rookie season, when he averaged 20.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game to claim the Rookie of the Year trophy over Stephen Curry.

Despite failing to blossom into the superstar that many expected after his rookie campaign, Evans is still a solid signing. He has been wracked with injuries in recent years, but he provides playmaking on the wing. Furthermore, his jump shot has improved leaps and bounds since the start of his career.

Tyreke Evans has a miserable career three-point percentage of 29.5 percent. However, that number fails to show the remarkable shift in his accuracy since he came into the NBA. Evans knocked down 38.8 percent of his triples in 2015-16 on a career-high 3.4 attempts per game.

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    • While his accuracy fell slightly last year to 35.6 percent, Evans shot 43.8 percent from deep during his brief stint in Sacramento. His overall numbers paint him as a terrible shooter from deep, but his improved accuracy in the last two years is worth noting.

    Evans also has a better handle than most wing players. He does not have the incredible speed from his younger days that made him a pseudo-point guard. However, he has enough juice off the dribble and good enough passing vision to be a good secondary bench creator.

    The biggest concern for Evans, by far, is his health. Evans has topped 70 games only three times in his eight-year career. He played just 40 games last season in his time between the Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans.

    With his improved shooting from deep and ability to drive to the rim, Evans would be worth a much larger contract if he could stay healthy. However, he will instantly become the Grizzlies’ second-best creator off the dribble behind Mike Conley. Even if Tyreke only manages to play around 50 games, he will still live up to this deal. Furthermore, the Grizzlies do not have to commit to him beyond this year if his health continues to be a major issue.

    Tyreke Evans is not the same player that broke the hearts of Grizzlies fans back in 2010:

    However, his vision has improved since then. Additionally, his jump shooting is far better than it was back then — in spite of this shot. Even if Tyreke Evans misses a significant chunk of next season, he will still be able to contribute enough to the Grizzlies’ success to live up to this very cheap contract.

    Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

    Grade: B

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