Memphis Grizzlies: 2016 Offseason Grades
Keeping Conley
Heading into the biggest free agency bonanza the league has ever seen, you probably wouldn’t have guessed that by the time all was said and done, Mike Conley and the Memphis Grizzlies were going to agree to the largest contract in NBA history.
And yet, with a five-year, $153 million contract extension for their starting point guard, that’s exactly what happened. Perhaps that will put all that overused “Mike Conley is underrated!” talk to bed once and for all.
Mike Conley just received the highest deal in NBA history. The market is not about "superstars," it's about timing & availability.
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) July 7, 2016
On the one hand, this is obviously a feel-good move for the Grizz, especially after re-signing Marc Gasol to his massive five-year extension last summer. Losing Conley would’ve ushered in a serious remodel for the roster, euthanizing the grit-n-grind era in the process.
Instead, Conley’s extension ensures that Gasol-Conley-Zach Randolph–Tony Allen quartet will get one more crack at annoying their way to the top of the Western Conference ladder, even if the odds are still against them with the Spurs still dangerous and the Warriors emerging from the summer covered in more gamma ray radiation than the Hulk.
However, paying $153 million over five years for a player who, let’s face it, isn’t a superstar is not exactly a surefire success. Conley’s numbers have declined in each of the last two seasons, and he’s now on a five-year deal that will take him through his age-33 season.
Last year, Conley averaged 15.3 points and 6.1 assists per game while shooting 42.2 percent from the floor and 36.6 percent from three-point range — respectable numbers, especially for a two-way player who puts forth effort defensively, but hardly indicative of the kind of player you’d expect to receive the largest contract in NBA history.
The Grizzlies had to keep Conley if they wanted to remain competitive in 2016-17, so they sucked it up and ponied out the dough for their leading free agent. Their biggest offseason goal was accomplished in the process, but let’s not pretend like there are no inherent risks with such an otherworldly extension like this.
Grade: B+
Next: Picking Up Parsons