Mike Conley is now the lone ranger in Memphis. Gone is Zach Randolph. Gone is Tony Allen. Gone is Marc Gasol.
The days of Grit-n-Grind are over for the Grizzlies, and now, Memphis will face a long road to rebuilding around top young big man Jaren Jackson Jr., who had a very impressive rookie campaign.
But where does that leave Conley?
At 31 years old, Conley is obviously not going to serve much of a purpose for a rebuilding team other than representing a veteran presence in the locker room, but Conley is still too good to merely fill the “veteran leader” role which is generally reserved for guys who are long past their primes.
So, as you can imagine, the point guard may wish to take his talents elsewhere:
“I want to be somewhere, if there’s a possibility, where you can have a legit chance at achieving a goal of winning a championship,” said Conley, according to Peter Edmiston of The Athletic. “Everything else, I’m not so much worried about as I am being in the years I’m in right now, trying to win and compete deeply into the playoffs. Knowing I have a chance when I go to training camp that year, our expectation is (a deep run). There is no anything else.”
The problem is, Conley is under contract through 2020 with an early termination option for 2021, so he can't just sign somewhere else this summer. He would have to be traded, which may be difficult given his $32.5 million salary for next year.
Conley seems to understand that and seems to be looking at what will happen in 2021:
“It’s good to know that I’m wanted here so heavily, and that this is my home, but also that they understand what I’m feeling and where I’m at in my career, and the possibility that two years from now, if I don’t win here, I’m going to find somewhere else to go,” he said.
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