Ed Davis is a longshot to receive an extension from the Grizzlies before Thursday’s deadline, USA Today’s Sam Amick tweets. The two sides have been negotiating a deal, but for now, it doesn’t appear they’ll reach an agreement. Extension talks are prone to fits and starts, as Amick noted yesterday when he reported the stall in progress toward an extension for Gordon Hayward, but for now, it appears Davis is headed for restricted free agency in the summer.
Memphis acquired the 6’10” left-hander from the Raptors in last season’s Rudy Gay trade, and Amick reported shortly thereafter that the Grizzlies saw Davis as part of their future. Still, there hadn’t been much chatter about an extension until the past week, when Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported that talks have been taking place this month.
The Raptors drafted Davis 13th overall out of North Carolina in 2010, but his minutes per game have declined each season since he saw 24.6 MPG in his rookie year. The Grizzlies significantly reduced his role after the trade, plugging him in for only 15.1 MPG in the regular season and 6.0 MPG in the playoffs, preferring Darrell Arthur as the primary backup big man.
Memphis traded Arthur for Kosta Koufos in the offseason, but Koufos will likely see plenty of time backing up Marc Gasol, making it difficult to envision much of a jump in minutes for Davis. The 24-year-old’s value doesn’t figure to escalate if he’s tethered to the bench, so the Grizzlies probably stand to benefit from waiting to do a deal.