It was an emotional night in Memphis on Tuesday, as it served as a potential farewell for both Mike Conley Jr. and Marc Gasol. The longest-tenured members of the Grizzlies, Conley and Gasol are at the center of trade rumors, potentially putting a pair of decade-long careers in Memphis behind them.
In what could end up being their final home game — a 108-106 downing of the Minnesota Timberwolves for which Gasol sat out — both players took time to acknowledge and thank the crowd intermittently throughout the night.
Mike Conley with the steal and 3 before halftime for the #Grizzlies in what could be his farewell home game. Motions to the crowd and hugs Gasol heading to locker room pic.twitter.com/kziiMujPUH
— Fastbreak Breakfast (@fastbreakbreak) February 6, 2019
Conley could be the first to go, as a report from Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer indicates the Utah Jazz, whose interest in the guard is well-documented, are making a “strong push” to add the former Ohio State point guard to their roster before the trade deadline passes.
“The Jazz are offering a deal with Ricky Rubio and Derrick Favors serving as the (expiring) salary fillers necessary to complete a trade, plus one first-round pick, according to league sources,” O’Connor wrote.
The addition of Conley to Utah’s roster would create a fearsome backcourt pairing between him and Donovan Mitchell, whose play has skyrocketed over the past month after a slow start to the season. Conley provides a consistent scoring threat without the potential drop-off in playmaking that the team would lose if Rubio were to be traded.
The Detroit Pistons are also reportedly still in the mix for Conley’s services, but for the moment, it appears the Jazz are in the drivers seat to pry the 31 year old out of Memphis … if, of course, the Grizzlies decide it’s time to bring the Conley era to an end.
