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Memphis Grizzlies: Predicting who is coming back next year

By Jake Peterson

MEMPHIS, TN - APRIL 10: Jevon Carter #3 of the Memphis Grizzlies high-fives teammates during timeout against the Golden State Warriors on April 10, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - APRIL 10: Jevon Carter #3 of the Memphis Grizzlies high-fives teammates during timeout against the Golden State Warriors on April 10, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

One Foot out the Door

Players, either by their own choosing or management’s, who are looking like they won’t be back next year.

  • Mike Conley
  • Joakim Noah
  • Tyler Dorsey

At this point, it seems like we’re beating a dead horse with the talk of Mike Conley’s departure, but it seems more and more likely by the day. After the team’s management restructuring, the usually polite and reserved Conley issued the following tweet:

Conley has already hinted at wanting to move on in a series of recent statements, and who can blame him? He has faithfully toiled with the Grizzlies his whole career and they aren’t going to be sniffing a championship within the next five years. Conley is already on the wrong side of 30 and the Grizzlies would do him right by giving him a chance to win a championship.

The only feasible way that Conley comes back is if management really plays hardball, again with their trade demands or keeping Conley for marketing purposes. The Grizzlies are already one of the least profitable franchises with a tiny fan base in a small-market city. Trading their last superstar might be a difficult pill to swallow.

Joakim Noah, despite outplaying expectations and looking like a real NBA player again, probably won’t be brought back. Noah is old and the Grizzlies are going young. He could be brought back on the vet’s minimum to serve as a mentor, but even that’s a stretch.

Tyler Dorsey should have his own category titled “flip a coin”. Dorsey, after playing extremely limited minutes during his first month with the team, got his chance to shine the last two weeks of the season. With injuries having taken their toll, Dorsey put up multiple double-digit scoring games. One can’t look too much into that, as many of his points came when he had a huge green light in garbage time.

The Grizzlies already experimented on one player, Marshon Brooks, who caught fire at the end of a season only to trade him away before the season ended. So, could Dorsey be back for cheap? Sure. Could he be cast to the side? Also likely.

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