Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, doesn’t appear to be anxious to leave Memphis, but the veteran also isn’t making any promises that he will return to the team next season. “It’s easy to feel obligated; it’s easy to want to stay,” Conley told SI.com’s Chris Mannix recently. “This is where I’ve had my whole career. At the same time I understand this is a business. I have to weigh my options just like Marc Gasol did. Hopefully it will be an easy decision, whatever it is.”
Conley, who is currently slotted No. 3 in our 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings, has been a rock-solid performer for the Grizzlies since being selected with the No. 4 overall pick back in 2007. The 28-year-old is set to earn $9,588,426 this season, a pittance for a player as talented as Conley is, and its hard to imagine him settling for less than the maximum on his next deal, though that is merely my speculation. The Grizzlies possess Conley’s Bird rights, which means that the team can exceed the cap to re-sign him if necessary. With the salary cap set to increase markedly in 2016/17, and Memphis currently committed to $47.657MM in guaranteed salaries, there shouldn’t be much of an issue in bringing Conley back into the fold. Of course, Conley could decide that he’d like to play elsewhere, and if that is indeed the case, he will have no shortage of suitors lining up to bid on him.
So here’s the topic for today: Will Mike Conley re-sign with Memphis next season? If not, where do you see him landing?
Take to the comments section below to voice your thoughts and opinions, as well as to provide us with your best predictions. We look forward to what you have to say.
Sixers. They have the $. Desperately need an experienced PG to go w all that current and future lottery goodness.
I think he stays in Memphis or goes to a competing team
I agree that Conley is more than likely going to remain in Memphis…but I will throw the Knicks out there as a possibility. Porzingis is looking like a legitimate building block…Lopez is a nice complementary piece, and if Melo can remain healthy, then Conley could be the capper that puts NY back on the NBA map.
The core of that Memphis team seems like a tight-knit group. I expect Conley to stay put.