On the rest day of free agency, Chris Wallace may have pulled off his best move since arriving to the Grizzlies. It has been announced that Rudy Gay will return to Memphis after signing a contract worth an estimated $80 million/5 years. Regardless of whether you think he was overpaid, keeping Gay in a Grizzlies uniform will almost certainly lead to a Playoff berth for Memphis this season.
With San Antonio's core aging and Richard Jefferson opting out, the Spurs will probably have a down year next season. I expect them to keep their streak of 50+ win seasons alive, but they won't get many more victories. Also, the Dallas Mavericks are facing an uncertain offseason. While Dirk will likely stay with the team, it is uncertain if they will be able to make any important acquisitions to improve their franchise. If they can't get anyone, expect the Mavericks to also have a few more losses next season.
When Memphis drafted Xavier Henry and Grievis Vasquez, we finally solidified the one position needed a major overhaul. By keeping Gay, the Grizzles also have one of the top small forwards in the league. While I still heavily disagree with Wallace's decision to not extend an offer to Ronnie Brewer, there is still the possibility that he will remain with the team as well. If Brewer does leave and sign elsewhere, Wallace must find a quality free agent to bring to Memphis. While Wallace likely won't ever bring in a superstar free agent, we have gotten quality players to sign here in the past.
The Grizzlies with now likely field a starting line up of Xavier Henry-OJ Mayo-Rudy Gay-Zach Randolph-Marc Gasol and have a bench including Vasquez, DeMarre Carroll, Darrell Arthur, and Sam Young would be one of the best young line ups in the league. If Memphis could acquire another quality big man in free agency, they would be in competition for the 6-7 seed come playoff time. If the Grizzlies just fill out the roster with decent players, they will still almost be a lock for the 8th seed in my opinion. Too many teams are on the decline while Memphis steadily improves for us not to take advantage of the opportunity. If the Grizzlies again fail to reach the postseason this year, expect some major changes next summer.
Gay must have liked what he saw though, considering he had meetings scheduled for later in the day with the Minnesota Timberwolves, among other teams. Hopefully, Rudy will be inspired to continue his improvements this season. If he does continue to develop, expect him to be in strong contention for his first ever All-Star appearance. With explosive players covering the Grizzlies entire line-up, expect them to entertain fairly-full crowds at home this season.
