The Memphis Grizzlies put themselves in a great spot to be successful for seasons to come by drafting Jevon Carter at No. 32 on Thursday night. With backup point guard Andrew Harrison’s Team Option approaching in the coming days, what do the Grizzlies do?
To move on, or not, that is the question the Memphis Grizzlies must ask themselves in the coming days. Entering his third season, point guard Andrew Harrison has progressed rather well in Beale Street Blue. However, with the depth behind Mike Conley, which route does Memphis choose to take?
Biting the Bullet:
Let’s just say Memphis picks up Harrison’s option for next season. Then in preseason play, they see that Harrison is not worth a roster spot and go with the youth of second-year guard Kobi Simmons and rookie Jevon Carter behind Conley. Memphis would owe Harrison money, and cutting Harrison after picking up his option would not make the most sense for Memphis.
Memphis lets Harrison Walk:
I want everyone to be honest for a second. I like the pick of Carter out of West Virginia, but if you let three years of solid development walk, what was the point? Of course it is too soon to tell, but I like Harrison’s game ahead of Carter. Carter will be the backup point guard in the future, but letting Harrison walk, just would not make sense. Harrison’s growth and maturity over the last few seasons has been remarkable. If you let Andrew Harrison walk, you put all of the pressure on Conley to mentor Carter and Simmons (which Conley could handle). I see Harrison as the backup guard until I see different developmental options emerge.
My prediction:
I think that Memphis keeps Harrison for this upcoming season, for stability’s sake. I think that the Memphis Grizzlies run with both guards off the bench based on the situation. A duo of Jevon Carter and Andrew Harrison can bring you versatility for any moment, and will be good this season for chess moves throughout an 82-game season. Look for the Grizzlies to pick up Harrison’s last year, and watch him continue his progression in Year Three in Beale Stree Blue.