Memphis Grizzlies: 5 Moments That Defined The 2018-19 Season
By Chris Kern
Mike Conley Trade Talks
The Mike Conley trade rumors were a big part of the season and they will continue into the offseason and until he is eventually traded, assuming it does happen. Marc Gasol was traded to Toronto and Conley was nearly traded as well with the two teams reportedly most interested being the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers.
There were rumors that both teams had put together a package that includes their current starting point guard and a first-round draft pick. The Grizzlies wanted two first-round picks in a deal and no team was willing to make that happen.
There were offers that Memphis could’ve taken if they wanted to, but at the end of the day, they decided against it. They will revisit some of these rumors in the offseason, but him being with the team to end the season turned out to be the right decision.
He had quite possibly the best two month stretch of his NBA career post-all-star break. In the 14 games, he played in after the all-star break he averaged 25.8 points, 6.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game.
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His trade value was pretty good during the season, but now it’s as high as it is ever going to get most likely. If the Grizzlies want to trade him, now is the time to do so. They will have plenty of suitors for their star point guard as many playoff contending teams could use him at the point guard spot.
Mike Conley being with the team to end the season really helped the young guys. Jonas Valanciunas really enjoyed playing with him and Delon Wright also played well behind and alongside him.
It would’ve been nice to see Jaren Jackson Jr. out there with the new guys to see how he fit, but the Grizzlies know he is the star of the future so it won’t affect their plans of trading Mike Conley. We’ll have to wait and see how the new front office guys and head coach feel about it, but Conley has likely played his last game in Memphis.