Memphis Grizzlies small forward Jeff Green has decided to exercise his $9.2 million player option which will keep him in Memphis for the upcoming 2015-16 NBA season. Green would have entered free agency this summer had he bypassed the option. That could’ve opened up his options for a long-term deal, whether it be in Memphis or elsewhere. However, this would’ve been a risky move due to his inconsistent play ever since he was traded to Memphis midseason. Green put up impressive numbers during the first half of the season with the Boston Celtics, when he was the focal point of the offense.
Things took a turn for the worse with the Grizz as he was the 4th scoring option behind Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, and Mike Conley. He averaged 13.1 point per game in 45 games with Memphis last season. The Grizzlies are hoping he can turn it around and be the efficient scorer he was in Boston. Following from Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
“The Grizzlies will have a full training camp to incorporate Green into their system, with the franchise’s full attention turning to the re-signing of first-team All-NBA center Marc Gasol in July free agency. Gasol is expected to stay with the Grizzlies, but no final decision has been made, league sources told Yahoo.”
Memphis is committed to bringing back their franchise center and is their biggest priority this offseason. Gasol had been reported to be gaining interest from teams across the league. Jeff Green picking up his player option seems to be a solid start to what looks to be a busy offseason in Memphis.
