NBA Rumors: Jazz To Make Another Push For Mike Conley This Summer

The Utah Jazz could use a big shot in the arm by getting a veteran point guard, something they almost did last February. The main target was Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies, but both teams failed to reach an agreement. Heading into NBA free agency, the Jazz are likely to open talks once more with the Grizzlies.

This is the consensus gathered from multiple reports, believing that the Jazz will try to initiate offseason trade talks with the Grizzlies for Conley, The Ringer reported. After a dismal 2018-19 NBA season, Memphis is expected to go on a full revamp and bring in fresh blood. Marc Gasol is already gone and most believe Conley would have had the same fate had negotiations fallen through.

Conley remains a coveted guard in the league, someone who has gotten over an injury-plagued 2017-18 NBA campaign. He ranked sixth in ESPN's player efficiency rating and ninth in ESPN's real plus-minus among point guards and held credible averages of 21.1 points along with 6.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 2.2 threes and 1.3 steals in 70 appearances last NBA season. But while those numbers seem impressive, the fact remains that they are going to waste and Conley knows it.

At 31-years-old, Conley knows he is on the clock. Despite his best effort, continuing his stint with the Grizzlies is unlikely to raise his chances of winning an NBA title. From that, there is no denying that Conley would want to join a team with a winning culture and best chances of nearing what any NBA player dreams of getting - an NBA ring.

"The opportunity to win a ring, it would be like, 'Ah, man, I missed that opportunity.' But after that, being here is home. Being here is all I know. I love the guys here. I love the people here," the Bleacher Report reported.

A trade involving Conley is possible although his contract could stand in the way. The fourth overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft still has two years left on the five-year $152.6 million deal he signed back in 2016. If the Jazz are bent on getting him, it may require multiple players to consummate.

If not the Jazz, other teams could look into the possibility of adding the 6-foot-1 guard who can bring in veteran leadership and scoring for any NBA squad. Utah may be in the lead but all that could change in a snap, especially with plenty of free agent stars looking for new teams this NBA offseason.