The Utah Jazz are hoping to keep star point guard Mike Conley this offseason in NBA free agency, but that is far from a guarantee. Conley had a great run with the Jazz, but he could be eyeing other options this offseason. Two of those options could be the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks.
A source spoke to NBA Analysis Network about Conley’s impending free agency market. The source stated that both the Knicks and Mavericks are potential contenders to sign Conley away from the Jazz.
“The Mavs are a team to keep an eye on for Conley, however, the Knicks are viewed as the biggest threat to sign Conley away from Utah in free agency.”
Conley put together another big season in 2020-21 for the Jazz, averaging 16.2 points per game to go along with 6.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds. He shot 44.4 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 41.2 percent of his three-point attempts. Those numbers show why the Knicks and Mavs would have interest in signing him.
New York has been rumored to have major interest in signing a win-now veteran point guard. They want to bring in a star running mate for Julius Randle and a point guard who can both run an offense and score at a high level. Conley can check both of those boxes.
On the other hand, the Mavs are a team that will look to make a splash alongside Luka Doncic this offseason. It has been reported that they want a secondary ball-handler who can score and take pressure off of Doncic. Once again, Conley can check those boxes.
At 33 years of age, winning will be a main priority for Mike Conley. Obviously, he will want to get paid big money, but he doesn’t have time to waste when it comes to competing for a championship. He could continue working towards that goal with the Jazz, but the way the season ended and coming up short of a Western Conference Finals appearance may force him to consider other options.
Should Conley go into free agency with an open mind, both the Knicks and Mavs can offer him big money with a chance to win a championship.
Expect to hear a lot of rumors surrounding Conley this offseason. The Jazz may end up re-signing him to a long-term deal, but there will be other teams circling in hopes of convincing him to sign elsewhere.
