While the Memphis Grizzlies continue to stand their ground on their point guard Mike Conley, this does mean he is a lock to stay.
There would be many underlying factors to Conley's decision and the Grizzlies are not at all assured that he will re-sign with the team.
This has been mentioned in a recent interview with Ian Begley of ESPN.
"I think everything will be on the table when that time comes," Conley told ESPN. "I haven't committed to anything."
One of the factors favoring the New York Knicks is the direction they're headed.
Conley added: "They've got talent, obviously. I think [Kristaps] Porzingis surprised a lot of people. He's going to be very, very good in this league. He already is pretty good. But he's going to grow each year, and they already have one of the best small forward in Melo. They've got a young team, so they've got a lot of room to improve."
There are still a lot of advantages for the incumbent team, as designed by the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. This is why it is increasingly difficult to pry away free agents unless there is a compelling reason.
NBC takes those into account when they assess that the safest bet would be that Conley stays in Memphis, but the Knicks have a lot of things to offer that Conley, who has stayed with his original team since 2007 has yet to experience.
"The smart money is on Conley staying in Memphis, the only NBA team he has ever played for," NBC's Kurt Helin wrote. "What the Knicks can offer is a larger stage for his brand and the chance to bring that brand out of the shade of Gasol and Zach Randolph."
