It has been an exciting NBA offseason so far, and while the main talk has been about Paul George and Carmelo Anthony potenionally being traded, there are other significant moves around the league being made. The Memphis Grizzlies are also trying their best to improve their roster for the next season, and it seems that they have their first major acquisition this summer. On Sunday night, ESPN reported that the Grizzlies and Ben Mclemore have agreed to a two-year deal worth around $11 million.
McLemore and the Kings part ways
Ben McLemore was drafted by the Sacramento Kings as the seventh overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Kings, and now he will be joining the Memphis Grizzlies. McLemore became an unrestricted free agent this summer and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on Sunday that he will continue his career in Memphis.
Ben McLemore has agreed to a 2 year, nearly $11M deal with Memphis, league sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/UgKojZgq1z
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) 3. srpnja 2017.
McLemore's best year was during the 2014/2015 campaign when he averaged 12.1 points per game, and last season with the Kings he averaged 8.1 points per game whle shooting 38% from the three-point line. After being drafted as the seventh pick in 2013, McLemore was viewed as the new face of the franchise for the Kings.
Things obviously didn't work out the way both sides wanted it to, and apparently they decided to move on. McLemore still has lot to prove, and the Grizzlies believe he hasn't reached his potential yet. He is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard with good ball-handling skills, and he shoots the ball well enough. Grizzlies believe that, under the tutelage of coach David Fizdale, McLemore will show next season what he's capable of.
Nene in Houston for three more years
The Houston Rockets and Nene Hilario have agreed to a three-year $11 million contract, ESPN reports. Nene was a free agent this summer, after his previous contract with the Rockets expired. The 34-year old center from Brazil played 67 games for the Rockets last season, mainly coming off the bench.
He averaged 9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last season, while shooting 61% from the field.
Nene has agreed to a three-year, $11 million deal with the Rockets, a league source told @wojespn. https://t.co/UFA6vpQFLP
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) 2. srpnja 2017.
Nene is obviously happy to stay in Houston for three more years, as he took to Twitter to express his satisfaction.
H-Town Let's do this!!!! 🚀🚀🚀🚀 🏆🏆🏆
— Nene Hilario (@NeneHilario42) 2. srpnja 2017.
This is yet another good move by the Rockets, as they already acquired Chris Paul and P.J. Tucker this offseason. Last season they were bounced in the Western Conference Semifinals, and it looks like they're getting ready to compete for the Conference Finals again with the moves they're making now.
