9:56am: Appearing today on Sports 56 WHBQ in Memphis, Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal suggested that the Grizzlies and Green are making progress toward a short-term deal (Twitter link via Peter Edmiston).
8:53am: Grizzlies power forward JaMychal Green is one of four restricted free agents who remains unsigned, but there’s an expectation that Green’s situation will be resolved by training camp, a source tells Matt Moore of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). According to Moore, the most probable scenario is that Green will remain with Memphis.
Green, 27, had his best season as a pro in 2016/17, emerging as the Grizzlies’ starting power forward with Zach Randolph moving to the bench. In 77 games (75 starts), Green averaged 8.9 PPG and 7.1 RPG with an efficient .500/.379/.802 shooting line.
Green received a qualifying offer worth approximately $2.82MM from the Grizzlies in June, which made him a restricted free agent. Early in July, Green’s agent suggested that Memphis appeared to be going in a different direction, adding that there were offer sheets and possible sign-and-trade opportunities out there for his client. However, the market for the RFA forward appears to have dried up as potential suitors used their cap space on other players.
We’ve already seen one restricted free agent – Nerlens Noel – sign his one-year qualifying offer, hoping to receive stronger offers on the unrestricted market next summer after playing on a below-market deal in 2017/18. It remains to be seen whether Green is willing to go that route, but the QO remains “very much in play,” according to Moore (Twitter link). One recent report indicated that Memphis is willing to offer more than the QO, but that Grizzlies’ proposal would likely lock up Green for multiple seasons rather than letting him hit the open market with no restrictions in 2018.
As I noted last month, an October 1 deadline looms for Green and the other remaining restricted free agents (Alex Len, Nikola Mirotic, and Mason Plumlee) — at that point, their respective teams are free to pull their qualifying offers on the table, even though they’d still be RFAs. As such, there’s incentive for Green to work something out the Grizzlies this month.
This is curious by Memphis. They should be enthusiastic about a good young starter without much else at the 4. Green should take the QO and “bet on himself”.