The Memphis Grizzlies achieved their main goal in free agency when they were able to re-sign Marc Gasol to a five-year deal. Other than the Gasol deal, the Grizzlies have kept a relatively low profile, making a few minor moves like signing Brandan Wright and acquiring Matt Barnes. Now the news around Memphis is that backup point guard Nick Calathes will likely not be back with the Grizzlies next season according to Eurohoops.net.
Calathes has spent two years in the NBA, both with Memphis, and has had middling playing time with little success. Calathes was reportedly offered a deal by the Grizzlies but it wasn't a deal he believed was worth taking as it was for the minimum which for him would be about $1.2 million.
The Grizzlies really don't have a need for Calathes at this point as they have Mike Conley locked in as the starting point guard and Beno Udrih as the backup coming off a good finish to the season in Memphis. The Grizzlies also still have Russ Smith on the roster, who didn't get much playing time last year but is a point guard they will likely hold on to.
Calathes is a restricted free agent but has yet to sign an offer sheet with any NBA teams. It seems likely that his best option might be to go play overseas. He currently has an offer from the Greek team Panathinaikos for three years for upwards of six million dollars, which also offers an NBA out clause after two seasons with the team.
Calathes has reportedly stated that his desire is to stay in the NBA but he also isn't willing to short himself in the money he feels he deserves. He has played overseas before, in 2011-12 and 2012-13, and had his best professional season in 2012-13 when he averaged 13.4 points, six assists and five rebounds per game.
Calathes did have a few shining moments in the NBA, like winning Rookie of the Month in February 2014, but overall he hasn't been able to put it all together. Last season with Memphis he averaged 14 minutes a game while shooting just 42 percent from the field and 26 percent from three. Defense is Calathes' best asset but it does seem like anyone in the NBA is willing to offer him more than the minimum at this point, which will likely lead him to his native Greece.
