The deal: Jonas Valanciunas signs three-year, $45 million deal to stay in Memphis.
When the Memphis Grizzlies traded for Jonas Valanciunas in jettisoning Marc Gasol to a contender, they wanted to see exactly what he could bring to the table and where that might leave their interest in his free agency this summer. With so much open cap space, Valanciunas declining his player option always seemed likely, so that he could sign a deal with more long-term security. After the Grizzlies watched him score 19.9 points and grab 10.7 rebounds in just 27.7 minutes for them, it became pretty obvious he was the center they wanted for the next few years.
Valanciunas sticks around on a very good, team-friendly deal. If he provides similar production over the next three years, getting that for $15 million per season is basically the opposite of what they’ve experienced with the Chandler Parsons contract. Valanciunas joins the young core of Jaren Jackson Jr and Ja Morant, as the…
