Mike Conley Will Reportedly Stay In Utah On A $68 Million Deal

Mike Conley hit unrestricted free agency this summer, as the five-year contract worth more than $150 million that he originally signed with the Memphis Grizzlies reached its conclusion at the end of this past season. Per multiple media reports, Conley’s free agency was not expected to be particularly dramatic, as the expectation was that he’d end up returning to the Utah Jazz.

That indeed is what happened, with a 3-year, $68 million deal being reportedly struck, per Shams Charania, just after the 6 p.m. moratorium period opened that will keep Conley in Utah and continue their push to the top of the West.

Woj later confirmed the deal, but at $72.5 million overall (which likely has to do with potential bonuses deemed unlikely).

Conley joined the Jazz in 2019 with an eye on competing for a championship, but due to a mix of injuries to Conley and some general struggles once the postseason rolled around, Utah has not been able to get past the conference semifinals during his time with the team.

While he struggled mightily on the floor during his first year, Conley was able to experience something of a bounce-back campaign in 2020-21, averaging 16.2 points, six assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 29.4 minutes per game. Conley has been a terrific backcourt partner for the Jazz’s rising star in Donovan Mitchell, providing a steady hand and quality shooting. Utah’s next steps will be figuring out what else to do with their roster on the margins, with the only real way to make a splash now being through the trade market. If that doesn’t happen, it seems the Jazz will run it back again with the team that earned the 1-seed in the West last year before a second round exit.