What the hell is wrong with the Grizzlies

[SCBobcat]

I just saw where the Memphis Grizzlies gave Mike Conley a 5 year/$40 million deal. MIKE effing CONLEY!?!
This is the same front office that didn't offer their 2 first round draft picks the customary 120% rookie scale contracts and let those rookies sit out almost all of the offseason before finally relenting during training camp.
This same front office was pulling that cheap stunt while signing Rudy Gay to an $86 million deal (presumably to keep him from bolting to Minny where he could join Kevin Love to form the Gay/Love wing combo).
If Raymond Felton was worth 7.5 tops, and Steve Blake was worth like 4 million, what are the Memphis folks smoking to pay Conley 8 million?
This is going to skew and screw the salary numbers for other point guards like DJ. Seriously, I am trying to think of a worse starting PG than Mike Conley...whoever Miami puts out there is close, but no one else comes to mind. How can they look themselves in the mirror everyday and make these bizarre deals. Its like a schizophrenic that no one keeps an eye on. I know one thing, their owner better not be crying at the CBA negotiations after pulling a stunt like this. Also, if I am an owner (like MJ or any other small market owner) I am whooping that guy's ass for the Conley deal.

[SWedd523]

Sure does make Mayo and Gasol available!

[WhatAboutBob_cats]

This should produce some worries on a larger scale. I'll be writing an article on this for the Baseline soon but what I mean is that this complicates the communications between the nba and the players association. For those who may not know, the nba and the teams are clamoring for players to take pay cuts because the teams say they're losing so much money. Meanwhile, the players association wants everything to remain as is because they're pretty sure the NBA, on the whole is making a profit (although David Stern says they're losing hundreds of millions of dollars. riiiiiight). The owners say that their losses persist despite their claims that they spend their money responsibly. How can teams make that argument now?

40 million for Conley. 20 million for Darko. 34 million for Amir Johnson. 120 million for Joe Johnson.

Could this Conley contract be the latest piece that foreshadows some hitches in negotiations which may cause a lockout?

Maybe. I don't know. But I am more worried than I was last week.