Grizzlies Decline Stephenson's 9.4 Mil Option

[SD2042]

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/242433/Grizzlies-Decline-$94M-Option-On-Lance-Stephenson

More cap space and a need to look at options at the SG/SF positions

[NowLarry]

He did well for our injury plagued team when given minutes but we still lost alot of games with him at the helm and he never showed the fully dominate side to his game people thought he had in him coming from Indiana. It was probably a hard decision to decline him but it makes since only because of the unique situation we're in as small market team that wants to win on a budget each year.

Alot of fans in Memphis I talked to IRL liked him alot as he is not a bad player and he plays with passion and heart even though his BBIQ is a little low. Sadly, he is not worth his cap hold price and it prevents us from having more to work with this summer with Conley being a FA and so much being up in the air already.

Push comes to shove his salary makes the difference between getting/keeping a max player even if he sort of fits in with our culture. I would like him back if he doesn't get a better longterm offer from another team.

[SD2042]

Lance was as close to a shot creator as we had in recent years. Even though he was only around for only two months. You're right that it was likely a hard decision for the Grizzlies to make as it appears they are doing everything possible to bring back Conley. It will rest on the moves Chris Wallace makes and if these moves prove beneficial for the Grizzlies for the sake of their future.

[qwerty1234]

I'm kind of surprised tbh. $10m doesn't seem too high for a young scoring wing with defensive toughness. He created shots when we had no one else who could, he hustled on defense, and the guy has a fearlessness that makes him fun to watch. I thought he was a great addition considering he was essentially a salary throwin from the Green trade, but the more I think about it the less I think he fits with our healthy team.

With a healthy Conley and Gasol and actually having PG depth, his skills become redundant if he shares the court with them. Stephenson needs the ball which becomes a liability when he's at most the 3rd best creator/scorer on the court. His exciting fearlessness also seemed to turn into recklessness. He doesn't always look to pass and he charges into three defenders to take an off balanced shot with 20 seconds left on the shot clock. I didn't have much of a huge problem with this type of play considering how thin we were across all positions at the end of last year, but this is the sort of play he is known for and we can't necessarily any change when his shot creation is no longer needed.

Ultimately I think declining his option comes down to our acquisition of Wroten. They are the same size, both have a score first mentality, and have defensive toughness. Wroten is younger, faster, more athletic, a better ball
handler, and a better distributor. Stephenson was our nominal PG for most of the games he played out of necessity, but he didn't look like he could play that role on a real playoff team. One thing I would liked to have seen is if he could have succeeded as a very undersized PF. It will be interesting who we go for to fill our wing depth now.