A significant player for the Utah Jazz has terminated his contract due to serious issues with his…
According to a report from Yahoo’s Chris Haynes, Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley decided on Thursday to forego unrestricted free agency and stay with the team instead of exercising the early termination option in his contract.
Given that Conley is due $34.5 million in salary for the upcoming season and the anticipated lackluster 2020 free agent market, the move was long anticipated
It also ends any rumors that Conley would rework his contract with the organization to receive a reduced annual average value in return for more long-term money.
Conley was one of the Jazz’s two major offseason acquisitions in 2019. The team made a huge trade with the Memphis Grizzlies to get him, giving up two first-round draft picks, Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver, and Grayson Allen.
Conley admitted that it was difficult for him to adjust to life in Utah after spending twelve years in Memphis, and he struggled at first. However, by the end of the season, he had found his form and was giving the Jazz the reliable hand and deep-ball threat they had come to expect. He shot 40/9% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc, averaging 14.4 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.2 rebounds a game.
In the Jazz’s first-round playoff series loss to the Denver Nuggets, he also significantly increased his production and efficiency. Having missed the first two games to be with his family for the birth of his son, he returned and averaged 19.8 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 48.4% from the field and 52.9% from three-point range.
