NBA Free Agency rumors: Mario Chalmers signs deal with Grizzlies

Mario Chalmers didn’t step onto the court at all last season, but still found himself with a new deal from the Grizzlies this summer.

Due to an Achilles injury, Mario Chalmers didn’t see any action for any games in the 2016-17 season. However, the Memphis Grizzlies apparently liked what they saw from the guard in the season before, and want him back next year.

Last season, the Grizzlies were forced to release Chalmers after his injury in order to free up some roster space, but it looks like the team didn’t want to part with him for long. After trading for him from the Miami Heat back in the 2015-16 campaign, the team is reportedly getting the guard back this summer.

According to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the team is signing Chalmers to a one-year, partially guaranteed deal for next season.

The deal makes a lot of sense given Chalmers’ injury history, and it’ll prove to be a bit of a tryout to see if he’s worth of a longer deal after next season. However, he proved his worth as a backup in his first year with the Grizzlies, where he averaged 10.8 points and 3.8 assists per game off the bench behind Mike Conley.

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Chalmers has had a successful NBA career so far, but is obviously on the decline after helping the Miami Heat in their title runs back when the Big Three was roaming around in Miami in the early 2010s.

The move isn’t a huge one as far as guards coming off of the board this summer in free agency, especially with loads of other talent still on the market looking for new teams. However, the signing does give the Grizzlies some more depth, and some insurance behind Conley should a disaster strike on the court.