Memphis Grizzlies: Complete 2018 offseason grades
By Tim Maclean
Signing Shelvin Mack
Talks of a possible union between Mack and the Grizzlies began in late July, but it wasn’t until Aug. 7 that the two sides came to an official agreement on a one-year, $2 million deal.
Perhaps the injury to Carter greased the wheels a bit for Memphis. With the rookie on the mend thanks to a torn ligament in his right thumb, the Grizzlies would have entered training camp with the incumbent Andrew Harrison as the only backup point guard on the roster.
The addition of Mack gives the team another option, and someone who can push the younger Harrison throughout camp. Entering his eighth year in the league, Mack has been around the block and has plenty of experience in a wide variety of different situations.
He appeared in a career-high 69 games off the Orlando Magic’s bench last season, averaging 6.9 points, 3.9 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game, all while shooting a career-best 34.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Don’t be surprised if Mack ends up giving Harrison a real run for his money, either. The latter is entering the final year of his deal before he becomes a restricted free agent in the summer of 2019. With Johnson as Gasol’s primary backup, the possibility of waiving Harrison in favor of signing a more experienced big man to play behind their franchise center is always there.
Whether Memphis keeps Mack, Harrison or both, won’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. Neither really does much to drastically move the needle, but if given the choice, I think Mack would be the one you hang onto.
Grade: C-