Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports Images
JULY 7th, 6:42pm: The signing is official, the Grizzlies announced via press release.
JULY 1st, 2:27pm: The Grizzlies and Chandler Parsons have reached an agreement on a multiyear deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (via Twitter). The pact will cover four years and will pay Parsons the league maximum, the Vertical scribe notes. The Blazers also reportedly offered him a max deal, but instead Parsons is headed to Memphis.
Parsons becomes the first upper-tier free agent to choose Memphis in free agency, Wojnarowski notes (on Twitter). Though, the small forward’s status as a star is certainly up for debate given his statistical track record. The only other free agent signed by the franchise for above the mid-level exception prior to Parsons was Darko Milicic, adds Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). I’d wager that Memphis and its fans are certainly hoping this addition provides more of an impact given the dollar figures involved.
With Parsons in the fold, the team will turn its attention to retaining point guard Mike Conley, who is an unrestricted free agent. The addition of Parsons may be the deciding factor for Conley, with Sam Amick of USA Today noting (via Twitter) that Parsons is confident that the point guard will return to Memphis next season.
The 27-year-old reportedly eliminated the Mavs from consideration after team balked at offering him max dollars, a not unreasonable stance given Parsons’ injury history. He made 61 appearances this past season for Dallas, notching averages of 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 29.5 minutes per outing. He shot .492/.414/.684 from the field on the campaign.
In five NBA seasons, Parsons has averaged 14.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and three assists. He was the No. 38 overall pick of the Rockets in the 2011 NBA draft.
If you were gonna stay on the west and had the same exact offer from Portland and you play alongside Lillard and McCollum isn’t that more appealing than Conley and gasol? And throw Howard into the mix possibly? Idk I think Justin timberlake played a role in the recruitment lol…
more prominent role in memphis?
Guess I was right about Portland probably being ok with not ending up with him lol…This is an interesting match for him. I think he could improve on the defensive end, which is an issue for him. Fiz is really good at improving guys on that end, and he has the athleticism to be better than he is. This probably also means they’re keeping Conley, right? or maybe they look to add a couple of wing pieces. Should be interesting to see what else happens in Memphis
Do we have a winner, ladies and gentlemen? No, the Overpay Sweepstakes continues for several more days, followed by that annual tradition, Higher Ticket Price Announcement! Lets see if anyone is more foolhardy or desperate than Memphis! Stay tuned, when heaps of money meet too few stars, we should be treated to the lovely Carlos Boozer Effect, in which mediocre players briefly seem to shine like diamonds!
Ha! Your post is spot on accurate on all accounts. Parsons is so over rated it’s not even funny
Have to imagine Conley is going back. I don’t know if they would’ve signed Parsons if Conley was going to go elsewhere.
First Rockets. Then Dallas . Now Grizzlies. Played for nearly every team in the Southwest division.