3 reasons why the Memphis Grizzlies have to extend Kyle Anderson’s contract

Memphis Grizzlies F Kyle Anderson would be the best backup power forward in the league by a mile

The main hold-up in terms of extending Kyle Anderson’s contract is simple — the Grizzlies would have to pay an NBA starter-level salary to a player who may end up on the bench by the time this coming season concludes. Anderson was an above-average NBA starter last year and this showed up on the stat sheet.

The forward averaged 12.4 points, 1.2 steals, and 5.7 rebounds. He even averaged a career-high 3.6 assists per contest in 27 minutes.

The issue, however, is the fact that he may not return to a high enough usage rate to get his number back to that point. If Jaren Jackson Jr. remains healthy, which is the plan, Anderson’s role only stands to shrink. But JJJ hasn’t managed to stay healthy, an idea that forms the backbone of my argument on this slide.

What reason has Jaren Jackson Jr. given us to believe that he’ll stay healthy? The former Michigan State forward hasn’t played more than 57 games in any given season. In his career, he has appeared in around half of the Grizzlies games since being drafted.

If you extend Kyle Anderson’s contract, you’re paying for the insurance of having the best backup at any position in the league. They’d be buying insurance. Anderson proved that he can fill into the power forward position and find success. If that’s what the Grizzlies are going for, this is the right move.