Mike Conley (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
Mike Conley could leave the Memphis Grizzlies this summer to join either the Los Angeles Lakers or New York Knicks.
Conley is set to become a free agent in July and NBA rivals are expected to pursue the All-Star point guard, who has been out of the Grizzlies' playoff campaign due to an Achilles injury. According to CBS Sports' Ken Berger, Conley could be inclined to leave Memphis after nine seasons with the Grizzlies.
"Dave Joerger is in a tough spot in Memphis with an aging roster that broke down this season and is on its way to being further depleted with the expected free-agent departure of point guard Mike Conley. There's the potential for a breakup there, sources say," Berger noted.
Conley, who averages 15.3 points and 6.1 assists, is still viewed as one of the more reliable point guards in the league despite his latest setback that ruled him out of the postseason. He would certainly have plenty of teams to choose from, which could possibly include the Lakers and Knicks, according to Sports Illustrated's Fansided Jason Parker.
Parker includes LA and New York among other possible options as the potential destination for Conley this summer.
For the Lakers, signing Conley would provide a "positive publicity" to a team that has their image worn out by the consistent losing in the past two seasons and D'Angelo Russell's immature antics. Conley could also put the Lakers in the position to lure other top free agents like Kevin Durant or DeMar DeRozan to play in LA, which bodes well considering the Purple and Gold only have their youthful squad as their sales pitch.
However, there is not much of a reason for the Lakers to sign a point guard in the market as the team already has Russell to develop at the PG spot. Moreover, the Lakers seem to incline in retaining Jordan Clarkson, who is also set to become a restricted free agent this summer.
Conley may offer the Lakers to improve at the point guard position, but it could also mean stopping the development of Russell and Clarkson.
Meanwhile, Conley seems a good fit for the Knicks, who have been in dire need of a star point guard. New York only had Jose Calderon and Langston Galloway as their PG option during the regular season, and it was evident the rotation did not work out.
Earlier this year, Conley stated he has not committed to signing with any team yet, making him a possible free agent acquisition for the Knicks. The 28-year-old point guard from Ohio State also gushed about the Knicks pairing of Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony, which would probably be more effective if a star point guard is included.
"They obviously have a lot of potential," Conley said. "They came to our house and had a very good showing and played well. The big fella [Porzingis] played well against us, now they have Melo [Carmelo Anthony] back. It is going to make them even more of a threat."
While adding Conley alone would not be a guarantee for the Knicks to be contenders, he could certainly maximize Porzingis' potential and could also be a factor for New York to lure other top free agents.
It would certainly be an intriguing summer for Conley, who explores free agency for the first time in his career. The Grizzlies could still be the favorite to retain Conley, but big markets in LA and New York could also affect Conley's decision for his next team.
