The NBA cap increased this offseason and the Memphis Grizzlies are making it rain as the free agency market opened. Not only did they give Chandler Parsons $95 million, but now they’re handing Mike Conley a max contract worth $153 million over five years.
Conley has never been an All-Star, but is one of the most underrated point guards in the Western Conference. The new deal is officially the richest contract in total value in NBA history, marking the first $100 million deal of this offseason. He will be making more than $30 million a year.
Mike had other NBA teams looking to sign him to a max deal, but only the Grizzlies could offer that fifth year option. The Dallas Mavericks, for example, could only sign him for $114 million over four years. At the end of the day, Memphis had to retain their point guard by any means necessary, considering there are really no other options on the market and the team is only getting stronger heading into next season.
Conley averaged 15.3 points, 6.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game in 2015-2016.
Watch out for the Grizz in the playoffs come next year, because they might surprise teams if they can all stay healthy. That’s the big asterisk with the team right now.
OS REWIND: Chandler Parsons Signs Max Deal with Grizzlies Worth $94.8 Million