All hail the Golden Age of point guards (and by extension, the Golden Age of point guard paydays).
According to a report by Tim MacMahon of ESPN on Friday, the Memphis Grizzlies are set to give Mike Conley a full five-year max deal. Since Memphis is Conley’s current employer and the holder of his Bird rights, a full max offer from them would be worth approximately $153 million.
The Grizzlies will give point guard Mike Conley a full five-year max offer, a source told ESPN. Memphis can pay… https://t.co/kTGTIvsN9c
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 1, 2016
ESPN’s Marc Stein adds that an agreement is expected to officially be reached within the next several hours.
Two sources close to the talks expect Mike Conley to have a firm agreement with Memphis on a five-year deal by tonight or Saturday AM latest
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 1, 2016
The 28-year-old Conley had been courted by a number of free agent wooers, including the Mavericks and the New York teams, to the point that some major concern began to arise in the Grizzlies front office about the possibility of his departure.
But the former No. 4 overall pick always seemed optimistic about a return to Memphis, provided that the team re-tooled the roster around him. Conley ultimately got that wish with the Grizzlies agreeing to a deal with forward Chandler Parsons on Friday. Now, there is life anew for an aging Memphis core, and, under rookie head coach David Fizdale, the future looks bright for them once more.
For Conley, whose name has become almost synonymous in basketball circles over the years with the term “underrated,” he can look at his rich new contract and be proud that he has finally shed that label.
Image Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
