NBA News: Mike Conley Won’t Re-Sign With Grizzlies Without Changes

Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

It was a rough year, to say the least for the Memphis Grizzlies. The 2015-16 NBA season was a forgettable one for Memphis with the team filled with veteran talent seemingly unable to stay healthy throughout the season.

Despite being constantly on the mend with injuries, the Grizzlies were able to work their way into the playoff picture in the Western Conference. Memphis clinched the seventh seed in the West setting up a first-round matchup with the San Antonio Spurs.

Unfortunately, the Spurs, as expected, were too much to handle. The Grizzlies were swept with relative ease in four straight games and now must go back to the drawing board one of their best players set to hit the free-agent market for the first time in his NBA career.

Apparently, Mike Conley is prepared to leave the Grizzlies unless changes are made, according to ESPN:

Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley said Monday he wants to see what Memphis does to keep winning before he commits to re-sign with the team.

Conley made it clear that for him to return this team needs to be committed to competing, and that means shaking up the roster moving forward, via ESPN:

“We need to be committed to doing the things, whatever it may be and however hard the decision may be, to do the right things in order to get us where we need to go,” Conley said a day after the Grizzlies were swept in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs.

Conley will be one of the most sought-after players on the open market this summer, especially after making this statement. The veteran point guard will be courted by many different teams with the New York Knicks potentially being the most aggressive of all the franchises ready to pursue him in free agency.

It remains to be seen whether Conley ultimately ends up leaving Memphis this summer, but it seems abundantly clear that he doesn’t like the direction the team is going, and changes must be made to retain him.