NBA Rumors: Mike Conley Leaving Memphis Grizzlies For Utah Jazz

NBA rumors have been swirling around Mike Conley. The 28-year-old point guard will have to make a tough decision this upcoming summer. Conley is set to become an unrestricted free agent. He has been playing at an All Star level for the past several years for the Memphis Grizzlies. Several teams will be interested in acquiring his services when free agency starts. According to Sporting News, the Utah Jazz could be one of those teams interested in signing the former Ohio State Buckeyes star. The Jazz are in need of a point guard and a leader.

The Memphis Grizzlies selected Mike Conley with the fourth overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. He has spent his entire career with the Grizzlies. Conley has led Memphis to five NBA Playoffs appearances in his nine seasons. In one of those appearances, the team made it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in Memphis history. Conley has played a key role in the success of the Grizzlies.

Mike Conley has been a very consistent player since joining the NBA in 2007. He has been a starter for most of his career. The former Ohio State Buckeyes star is an elite defensive player in the National Basketball Association. Not only is he a defender, but he is an excellent play maker who can hit from beyond the arc. Conley’s year came to an end early due to his season ending Achilles injury. He averaged 15.3 points, 6.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 56 games. Those are very good stats considering the Memphis Grizzlies run a slow pace offense.

The Utah Jazz are a rising team in the National Basketball Association. They have shown great improvement since the hiring of head coach Quin Snyder. The Jazz are a young team. They have shown the potential of being a contender for an NBA Championship. The Jazz are solid at almost all of their positions. They have questions at the point guard position. Signing a point guard like Mike Conley would certainly help the team in a big way. The team is missing a veteran leader who has experience running an offense.

The Utah Jazz traded for Trey Burke during the 2013 NBA Draft. The Jazz traded for him in hopes of him becoming their franchise point guard. Burke had a good rookie season for Utah. He averaged 12.8 points, 5.7 assists, and three rebounds in 32 minutes. In his second season, he was benched in middle of the season in favor of Dante Exum. Since then, Burke’s future with the team has been in doubt. The Jazz currently have four point guards on their roster.

The Utah Jazz picked Dante Exum with the fifth overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft. Before he was drafted, one general manager in the league compared him to Kobe Bryant. That is high praise since Kobe is one of the greatest players to play the game. Exum spent half his rookie year coming off the bench. He replaced Trey Burke in the starting lineup and help lead the Jazz to a 24-17 record after the All Star break. Exum’s playmaking skills and his defensive abilities what made him valuable to the team. Unfortunately, he went down with a torn ACL injury playing for the Australian national team in the summer.

Mike Conley will have plenty of options to choose from this upcoming summer. He is the best point guard available in free agency. One team that could be pursuing Conley will be the New York Knicks. They are in need of an upgrade at point guard. If Conley wanted a big city experience, the Knicks would be the perfect fit for him.

The Utah Jazz currently have many questions at their point guard position. Signing Mike Conley from the Memphis Grizzlies would help answer a lot of those questions. He is a proven winner, defender, and a leader. That is what the Jazz are currently missing at that position.

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