In a forgettable season, the lone bright spot for the Memphis Grizzlies — and a pleasant surprise at that — was Tyreke Evans. The former Rookie of the Year had a breakout campaign that arguably elevated his market value, something the team is well aware of as they maintain an interest in re-signing the crafty guard.

According to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated:

Tyreke Evans, the 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year, had perhaps the best season of his eight-year career, averaging nearly 20 points in 30.9 minutes per game. While the Grizzlies have interest, sources said he is excepted to be too expensive to retain.

In 52 games, Evans averaged 19.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. The best part in all these is he was signed by the Grizzlies last summer on a one-year audition deal worth $3 million. As it turned out, Evans outdid the expectations and Memphis is now facing a huge sum if they are bent on retaining his services.

The Grizzlies are coming off a highly-disappointing 2017-18 season, but they managed to capitalize on the misery by selecting Jaren Jackson Jr. in the recently-concluded NBA Draft. Marc Gasol and Mike Conley will return as the veteran leaders of this team. The latter hardly played due to an injury while the former was the victim of a dubious tanking approach.

That said, the Grizzlies suddenly look like a solid playoff contender and Evans could certainly help their cause next season if they wish to go deep. Outside of the numbers, Evans was fairly durable last year. The 52 games under his belt are deceiving as Memphis opted to sit him out for an extended period as they looked for a trade partner to take on Evans.