NBA Free Agency: Memphis Grizzlies Giving Mike Conley $153 Million

Free agency in the NBA has started, and a record amount of money has been thrown around. According to ESPN, the Memphis Grizzlies and Mike Conley have agreed to terms on a five-year contract worth $153 million. That makes the talented point guard the highest-paid player in the history of the National Basketball Association.

Mike Conley has never been an All-Star in the NBA. He’s a good player, but he’s never had a season where he deserved the honor of being named one of the best players in the National Basketball Association. There will be many critics who will point that out when talking about Conley being the highest-paid basketball player ever.

The Memphis Grizzlies knew that they would have to shell out a boatload of money to keep Mike Conley from joining another team in the NBA. Conley even met with the Dallas Mavericks, a team that was very determined to sign the point guard.

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 (@TheSteinLine) July 1, 2016

Since the Memphis Grizzlies held the Bird Rights to Mike Conley, they were able to offer him a deal that was approximately $40 million more than anyone else in the NBA could offer. That is a lot of money for anyone to leave on the table.

According to CBS Sports, the Memphis Grizzlies did not have much of a choice when it came to signing Mike Conley to the richest deal in NBA history because it would take them a decade to find someone that is comparable. It’s really harder for small market teams to lure in big name free agents.

Reports surfaced that Mike Conley had discussions with Chandler Parsons about teaming up together. The conversations never involved the Dallas Mavericks. The two of them talked about becoming teammates with the Memphis Grizzlies. In addition to keeping Conley around, the Grizzlies pulled off quite the upset by being able to secure the services of Parsons.

Ironically enough, the Dallas Mavericks attempted to sign Mike Conley in free agency, as reported by Sports Illustrated. Instead, the Memphis Grizzlies stole the biggest free agent from the Mavericks and used him to lure Conley into staying around.

It’s tough to advance far in the Western Conference because there are a couple of power houses standing in the way. The Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs are two of the most dominant teams that the NBA has ever seen. The same can be said for the Oklahoma City Thunder, if they can keep Kevin Durant from leaving via free agency.

Being able to keep Mike Conley around enables the Memphis Grizzlies to at least have a chance against the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

According to USA Today, pop sensation Justin Timberlake participated in a video that helped encourage Mike Conley to stay with the Memphis Grizzlies. Conley is much more appreciated by his current fan base than he is by other teams in the NBA, as evident by the fact that he did not generate too much hype in free agency.

With the signing of Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons, the Memphis Grizzlies now have three players under maximum contracts. That’s a bold move for an NBA team in a smaller market. However, the Grizzlies are showing that they are committed to building a team that can compete for a championship, which should appease a very loyal fan base.

The signing of Mike Conley might not guarantee an NBA Championship for the Memphis Grizzlies. However, it does ensure that they will remain a competitive team.

[Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images]