NBA Free Agency: Mike Conley won’t meet with Houston Rockets

Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Mike Conley will reportedly not meet with his Southwest Division rival Houston Rockets in 2016 NBA free agency.

According to ESPN.com’s Houston Rockets beat reporter Calvin Watkins, “Mike Conley will not meet with the Rockets” in 2016 NBA free agency.

Conley will hit free agency on Friday as the best available point guard on the market. He has spent his entire nine-year NBA career with the Memphis Grizzlies after going No. 4 overall to the club in the 2007 NBA Draft after taking the Ohio State Buckeyes to the 2007 National Championship Game.

It seems that Houston will have to look elsewhere to address their insecurities at the point guard position.

While starting point guard Patrick Beverley is arguably a perfect backcourt partner to play alongside ball-dominant superstar shooting guard James Harden, the Rockets feel compelled to get a guy with a better handle at the point to run new head coach Mike D’Antoni’s ‘seven-seconds-or-less’ offense in Houston.

Trying to pry Conley away from Southwest Division rival Memphis was a bold move for Houston to make. Conley could and probably will highly consider returning to the Grizzlies for a 10th year to play alongside Tony Allen, Marc Gasol, and Zach Randolph under new head coach David Fizdale.

Given that he is the only top 10 point guard on the free agency market in 2016, Conley should take his time to figure out what situation is the best fit for him. He’ll probably be the first domino to fall in point guard free agency, assuming that he will garner a maximum contract with a playoff-caliber team.

For now, the Rockets will have to look for a mid-level point guard to satisfy their backcourt needs now that Conley has informed Houston that he won’t even meet with the Rockets in 2016 NBA free agency.

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