Mike Conley will be one of the top point guards available this summer, but the Memphis Grizzlies fully expect him to stay put.
The grit ‘n grind era of the Memphis Grizzlies has, unfortunately, come to an end. It was a great run, they’ve been exciting underdogs in the playoffs for several years, and they bullied opponents defensively which added some much needed toughness to today’s NBA that loves three-point shooting and offense so much more.
However, after changing their offensive style and ranking a mere 15th in defensive efficiency, the season ending injury to Marc Gasol (surgery for a fracture to the navicular bone in his right foot) was the final nail in the coffin of the grit n’ grind era as we know it.
Yet, one of their least gritty starters, Mike Conley, is one of their most valuable. And fans will be pleased to hear that, after so many worries of him leaving in free agency when his contract expires this summer, the Grizzlies don’t think he’s going anywhere.
The team’s VP of player personnel Ed Stefanski has said on SiriusXM Radio that they fully expect him to stay in Memphis:
"With the way the CBA, the collective bargaining agreement, is set up, it gives an advantage to home teams financially for the player and we are obviously going to use that. We love Mike [Conley]… think he’s one of the best point guards out there. And the other thing I’ve found since I’ve been in Memphis is that the players love Memphis. They become part of the community, the fabric of it, and you go back and look and we’ve had players for a while in Memphis and they don’t like leaving Memphis.The same thing happened last summer with Marc [Gasol] and we envision the same thing with Mike and we intend to do everything we can to re-sign Mike…These guys were recruited for college, what, 17 years old? And they haven’t been recruited since, so they like to get a little love which is fine. And Mike will go out there but we’ll be right there, and when it’s all said and done I believe Mike will be back in a Grizzlies uniform."
Stefanski’s confident take on the matter can only reassure fans who want to see Conley in Memphis, which should be all fans of the Grizzlies. He’s done so much for the team, both with his patient offensive game and perimeter defense, and if they lose him it will be yet another hit to their chance of regrouping to become a top contender.
Zach Randolph’s production has declined, Gasol has a major injury to come back from and Lance Stephenson isn’t exactly the phenom who can solve all their problems. The Grizzlies need Conley, and luckily for them it sounds like they’ll do everything possible to keep him.