As most expected, Mike Conley will stay in Memphis. He and the Grizzlies are finalizing a five-year, $153 million maximum contract, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein.
Mike Conley, Grizzlies nearing agreement on 5-year, $153 million maximum contract
The Grizzlies’ mainstay never really considered leaving, especially after Chandler Parsons joined him.
There was some worry that Conley might look elsewhere, but the Grizzlies have been exceedingly confident he would stick around for more than a year after Marc Gasol did the same last summer. Before officially agreeing to return, Conley successfully recruited Chandler Parsons to join the Grizzlies on a four-year, $94 million deal. That made his decision even easier and should reinvigorate the franchise.
Conley was a key cog in the Grit n’ Grind Grizzlies squads that have been a mainstay in the Western Conference playoff race for the last six seasons. He was a perfect complement to Gasol and Zach Randolph as a tough-nosed defender who could control the offense and get a big bucket when the Grizzlies needed it.
After the Grizzlies signed Gasol to an extension last summer, it seemed that they would also be able to secure Conley. Still, there was a brief moment of anxiety. After Gasol and Conley were both injured during the 2015-16 season, the Grizzlies’ depleted roster showed just how far away they are from being contenders. Entering his ninth season, Conley is running out of time, especially after he missed the final two months of the 2015-16 season with an Achilles injury.
During the offseason, Conley appeared more and more open to the possibility of leaving Memphis. Teams like the Dallas Mavericks expressed interest, and the San Antonio Spurs even entered the conversation early in the summer. But the Grizzlies never truly feared his departure, and they were proven right in the end.
The veteran point guard is sought after because of his ability to lead a team. He’s incredibly adept on both sides of the ball, whether he’s playing lockdown defense or slipping through the cracks to find the rim.
Conley is in an elite class of point guards. He may not be Stephen Curry or Chris Paul, but when he’s at his best, he can control a game much like Damian Lillard or Kyrie Irving -- even if he’s not putting up as many points as his competitors.
He led the Grizzlies to the Western Conference Finals back in 2013, but now Conley wants to go even further. With the Grit n’ Grind era coming to a close, Memphis is going to be a different type of team. Conley, who will turn 29 before next season begins, will be the man to lead it.
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