NBA Free Agency: JaMychal Green walking out on Memphis?
By John Buhler
With Zach Randolph signing a multi-year deal with the Sacramento Kings, doesn’t that mean JaMychal Green is staying with the Memphis Grizzlies? Not so fast!
It was a little sad on the 4th of July in Memphis. That’s because Memphis Grizzlies franchise cornerstone power forward Zach Randolph signed a two-year deal worth $24 million to play with the Sacramento Kings. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first broke the news. Wouldn’t Randolph’s departure to Sacramento mean that Grizzlies staring power forward JaMychal Green would be getting a new contract to stay in Memphis? Not so fast!
According to Grizzlies beat write for the Commercial Appeal Ronald Tillery, “JaMychal Green’s agent, Michael Hodges, tells the CA that he hasn’t talked to Memphis about contract parameters since FA opened.”
Hodges would be quoted as saying, “I’m looking at two offer sheets & sign-and-trades. Seems to us Memphis is going in a different direction.” If Memphis isn’t going to match Green’s offer sheets, would could that mean for Memphis basketball going forward?
Green averaged 8.9 points and 7.1 rebounds for the 2016-17 Grizzlies. It was his first year being thrust into the starting power forward role, starting in 75 of the 77 regular season games for the Grizzlies.
With Randolph being in his late 30s, his departure elsewhere seemed inevitable. However, many felt that Memphis general manager Chris Wallace would prioritize re-signing Green in his restricted free agency.
If Memphis goes in another direction with Green, it could mean three things. 1.) Memphis is breaking up Grit ‘N Grind and going into a full-blown rebuilding mode. 2.) Green doesn’t fit head coach David Fizdale’s 3-and-d, up-tempo brand of basketball. 3.) Wallace and the Memphis front office believe that Green will garner too big of a contract for the Grizzlies to take on this summer.
In essence, Green is a prime candidate to get an offer from teams like the rebuilding Atlanta Hawks or the bottom-feeding Brooklyn Nets. Seeing Randolph walk in free agency wasn’t surprising, but letting Green walk too would be odd for the Grizzlies.