Memphis Grizzlies: 5 Potential Replacements For Mike Conley In Free Agency
By Chris Kern
Ricky Rubio
Ricky Rubio almost came to Memphis in a trade before the trade deadline in February, but now he could be an option in free agency. The Utah Jazz is expected to make another push for Mike Conley this summer so we could see a potential sign and trade happen with Rubio coming to Memphis could help match salaries if needed.
This would be a move that the Grizzlies would like to make. If they move on from Rubio they could bring in a veteran point guard who can come in and help stabilize things in the short term while they look for the point guard of the future.
The Grizzlies might prefer a better shooter to bring on since they have other key players who struggle to knock down shots, but this would still be a good signing for Memphis to make. He has been a quality point guard in his time with both Minnesota and Utah.
Rubio was the 5th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and while he hasn’t quite lived up those expectations, he has still been a quality point guard. Early on in his career, he was more of a pass-first point guard and while that still is his strong suit, he has been a larger part of the offense in his time with the Jazz. In his six seasons with Minnesota, he averaged 8.5 assists per game while he averaged just 5.7 in his two seasons with Utah.
He has shown a more willingness to shoot the ball, but he hasn’t done so at a very efficient mark. If he were to come to Memphis he would likely go back to strictly a pass-first point guard as the offense would run through guys such as Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr.