Grizzlies Officially Sign Nick Calethes For Upcoming Season

While it has been known for almost a month now that Nick Calethes would finally make the move from Europe to the NBA, the move became official today when the Memphis Grizzlies announced the move today in a press conference.

The Grizzlies acquired the rights to sign Calethes from the Dallas Mavericks earlier the summer and hope he will compete with Tony Wroten for minutes at the back-up point guard position.

He was taken in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft, however, he has played in Europe during the past four seasons because the Mavericks never signed him to a contract after drafting him.

According to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the delay in his signing likely had to do with his FIBA letter of clearance to sign with the Grizzlies.

The 24-year old guard spent last season with Lokomotiv Kuban averaged 12.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists while shooting 52.1% during 17 games in the 2012-13 EuroCup tournament en route to being named MVP of the tournament.

While the official parameters of the deal have yet to be released, the deal was believed to be for two years and in the range of $2 million total. Even if the team signed Calethes to a minimum deal, he would still earn approximately $1.3 million over the next two seasons.

If Calethes can adjust his game to the NBA style and the different level of competition, he has the potential to be a solid addition for the Grizzlies after they missed out on signing Mo Williams or Beno Udrih to strengthen their bench.

Memphis Grizzlies 2013-14 Full Regular Season Schedule

With the official release of the NBA schedule last night, we finally get a look at the full picture instead of just a handful of leaked games here and there. Despite making it to the Western Conference Finals last season and winning the most games in franchise history, the number of nationally televised Grizzlies games fell from 15 last season to just 13 this upcoming season. The Grizzlies also will not play on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which has been something of a tradition for the Grizzlies, and has always been an important game for the city of Memphis. Here is a look at the full regular season schedule:

Date	Opponent	Time
Oct. 30	at San Antonio	8:30
Nov. 1	Detroit	8:00
Nov. 2	at Dallas	8:30
Nov. 4	Boston	8:00
Nov. 6	New Orleans	8:00
Nov. 9	Golden State	8:00
Nov. 11	at Indiana	7:00
Nov. 13	Toronto	8:00
Nov. 15	at Los Angeles	10:30
Nov. 17	at Sacramento	6:00
Nov. 18	at Los Angeles	10:30
Nov. 20	at Golden State	10:30
Nov. 22	San Antonio	8:00
Nov. 25	Houston	8:00
Nov. 27	at Boston	7:30
Nov. 30	Brooklyn	8:00
Dec. 3	Phoenix	8:00
Dec. 5	Los Angeles	8:00
Dec. 7	Golden State	8:00
Dec. 9	Orlando	8:00
Dec. 11	Oklahoma City	8.00

Dec. 13	at New Orleans	8:00
Dec. 15	Minnesota	6:00
Dec. 17	Los Angeles	8:00
Dec. 18	at Dallas	8:30
Dec. 21	at New York	12:00
Dec. 23	Utah	8:00
Dec. 26	at Houston	8:00
Dec. 28	Denver	8:00
Dec. 30	Chicago	8:00
Jan. 2	at Phoenix	9:00
Jan. 3	at Denver	9:00
Jan. 5	at Detroit	1:00
Jan. 7	San Antonio	8:00
Jan. 10	Phoenix	8:00
Jan. 12	Atlanta	6:00
Jan. 14	Oklahoma City	8:00
Jan. 15	at Milwaukee	8:00
Jan. 17	Sacramento	8:00
Jan. 20	New Orleans	5:00
Jan. 24	at Houston	8:00
Jan. 25	Houston	8:00

Jan. 28	at Portland	10:00
Jan. 29	at Sacramento	10:00
Jan. 31	at Minnesota	8:00
Feb. 1	Milwaukee	8:00
Feb. 3	at Oklahoma City	8:00
Feb. 5	Dallas	8:00
Feb. 8	at Atlanta	7:30
Feb. 9	at Cleveland	6:00
Feb. 11	Washington	8:00
Feb. 12	at Orlando	7:00
Feb. 18	New York	8:00
Feb. 21	Los Angeles	8:00
Feb. 22	at Charlotte	7:00
Feb. 26	Los Angeles	8:00
Feb. 28	at Oklahoma City	8:00
Mar. 1	Cleveland	9:00
Mar. 3	at Washington	7:00
Mar. 5	at Brooklyn	7:30
Mar. 7	at Chicago	7:00
Mar. 8	Charlotte	8:00
Mar. 11	Portland	8:00

Mar. 12	at New Orleans	8:00
Mar. 14	at Toronto	7:00
Mar. 15	at Philadelphia	7:30
Mar. 19	Utah	8:00
Mar. 21	at Miami	7:30
Mar. 22	Indiana	8:00
Mar. 24	Minnesota	8:00
Mar. 26	at Utah	10:30
Mar. 28	at Golden State	10:30
Mar. 30	at Portland	9:00
Mar. 31	at Denver	9:00
Apr. 2	at Minnesota	8:00
Apr. 4	Denver	7:00
Apr. 6	at San Antonio	7:00
Apr. 9	Miami	8:00
Apr. 11	Philadelphia	8:00
Apr. 13	at Los Angeles	9:30
Apr. 14	at Phoenix	10:00
Apr. 16	Dallas	8:00

Free Agent Mo Williams Signs Two-Year Deal with Portland Trail Blazers

On Wednesday, Mo Williams agreed to a two-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers worth approximately $5.6 and has a player option for the second season. Williams chose the Blazers over such contenders as the New York Knicks, Miami Heat, and Memphis Grizzlies. He apparently decided to sign with Portland because they offered more money than the other teams in the chase were willing, or able in some cases, to spend.

Williams is a ten-year NBA veteran and was one of the best remaining free agents still available on the market. He spent last season with the Utah Jazz, where he averaged 12.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game in 46 games, all of which he started. He has also played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Milwaukee Bucks throughout his career.

With the addition of Williams, the Blazers will have a loaded back court this season including Damian Lillard, Wesley Matthews, C.J. McCollum, Earl Watson, Allen Crabbe, Will Barton, and Terrell Harris, although he is likely to be let go to make room for Williams on the roster. The Grizzlies will now have to begin considering other options as they search for a player capable of spacing the floor.

The Grizzlies were already interested in potentially signing Beno Udrih even before Williams chose to go to Portland, so don't be surprised if talks between the two sides intensify in coming days. Other options the Grizzlies could potentially explore include Delonte West, Antawn Jamison, Richard Hamilton, Al Harrington, Tracy McGrady, DeShawn Stevenson, and Stephen Jackson. While West and Jamison have previously been linked to Memphis, the others are just options I feel would be worth taking a long look at.

Richard Hamilton scored 16.2 points per 36 minutes and shot 43% percent in limited action last season with the Chicago Bulls. Al Harrington has dropped 20 pounds and is looking to join a contender, and he also would almost definitely provide a boast in scoring off the Grizzlies bench. Tracy McGrady signed with the San Antonio Spurs for the playoffs this past season and showed he still has something left in the tank as a bench contributor. Stevenson and Jackson are both veterans who can score and are accustomed to playing off the bench for large portions of their careers.

Almost all of the players I just listed could be signed for, or at least close to, the veteran's minimum. Most of them would also likely agree to a one-year deal, meaning the Grizzlies wouldn't have to commit any long-term money and also wouldn't lose much if the signing didn't work out for some reason for the team. Either way, the Grizzlies will likely still try to add at least one more player between now and the start of training camp despite missing out on Williams and don't be surprised if it's one of the names mentioned above.

The Top Five Targets That the Memphis Grizzlies Could Still Sign

While the Memphis Grizzlies have a majority of their roster in place for the upcoming season, the team's front office is still meeting with free agents so it would seem likely that the team hasn't quite finished making additions to the team.

The Grizzlies have already added Kosta Koufos, Jamaal Franklin, and Mike Miller this offseason via a trade, the draft, and free agency, respectively, and the team also re-signed Tony Allen and Jon Leuer. However, adding one final player could be the difference between another trip to the Western Conference Finals and an NBA championship.

This is a list of five free agents that I think would fit best with the Grizzlies and give Memphis the best chance at winning a championship. Some of them have met with the team or are interested in signing with Memphis, while one or two are options I think the Grizzlies might be wise to explore as well.

- Mo Williams: Jason Levien, the Grizzlies CEO, met with Williams in Memphis on Tuesday and presumably discussed potential contract options that would land the ten-year NBA veteran guard with the Grizzlies. Multiple reports have stated that Williams would like to sign with a contender, and Memphis would provide him with a legitimate chance at winning the first championship of his career and the first in franchise history.

While Williams wants to play with a title contender, he also doesn't want to sign for the veteran's minimum unless he absolutely has to. He supposedly would prefer signing with the Miami Heat if the only offers he receives are for the minimum. However, the Grizzlies have nearly all of their $5.15 million non-taxpayer's mid-level exception they could offer Williams, while the Heat could only offer $3.183 million with their tax-payer's mid-level exception.

Williams has spent time with the Utah Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Clippers in his career. He made $8.5 million last season with the Jazz, however, he already knows he won't get anywhere near that at this stage of his career, especially with a contender. While he may not be as good as he was a few years back, Williams is still a career 44% percent shooter from the field and has shot 39% from downtown (which is fifth best among all unsigned players). That kind of shooting would be a huge addition for the Grizzlies to use spacing the floor.

Beno Udrih: The Grizzlies are rumored to have interest in signing nine-year veteran guard Beno Udrih, especially if Mo Williams decides to sign elsewhere or demands too much money. Udrih spent last season split between Milwaukee and Orlando after he was traded in the deal that sent J.J. Redick to the Bucks.

Udrih has averaged 9.1 points and 3.6 assists during his career in 23 minutes per game and would be an excellent addition to a back court that already features Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Jerryd Bayless, Jamaal Franklin, and Mike Miller. He has a career shooting average of 46% from the field and has shot 35% from three point range.

While he might not be quite as talented as Williams, Udrih could probably be signed for significantly less depending on what kind of offers he receives from other teams. Besides the Grizzlies, there are supposedly at least four other teams interested in adding the veteran guard to their teams, including the New York Knicks, although they have been linked to a large number of guards in recent weeks.

Delonte West: West didn't play in the NBA last season and was last seen playing for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2011-12 season, however, he has drawn interest from the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks this offseason. While West may have issues off the court that have troubled him in the past, he has always been a talented player that has contributed to several winning franchises throughout his career.

The eight-year veteran has career averages of 9.7 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game in stints with the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Mavericks. He has played in 58 playoff games during his career, and he also has experience from advancing in the postseason during his time playing with LeBron James in Cleveland that he could bring to the Grizzlies.

With multiple reports suggesting that New York is out of the running for his services, the Grizzlies could probably land West for the veterans minimum unless a mystery team suddenly develops interest in signing him. Considering all 32 teams took a pass last season, West better hope he lands a spot with someone this season or might not get another chance in the NBA.

Antawn Jamison: Jamison is reportedly only interested in signing with four teams: the Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, and Memphis Grizzlies. The 15-year NBA veteran met with Clippers head coach Doc Rivers for dinner on Saturday night, and while no offer was formally made, their representatives are supposed to meet again in the near future.

While Jamison is nearing the end of his career, he is one of the best shooters still available at any position, as he has shot 45% from the field and 36% percent from three during his career (which is eighth best among all unsigned players). The Grizzlies already have a loaded front court with Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Ed Davis, and Kosta Koufos, however, you can never have too many talented big men that can space the floor.

At worst, Jamison would provide first year Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger with someone who could play five to ten minutes a night in the front court, space the floor for other shooters on the floor, and have another body that can draw six fouls. He has tremendous career numbers of 18.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, however, his numbers took a steep drop last season with the Los Angeles Lakers where he only averaged 9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

Lamar Odom: While Odom clearly and desperately wants to remain in Los Angeles with either the Clippers or Lakers, it remains to be seen whether or not either one of them are interested in signing him. Odom has played with both teams, most recently the Clippers, however, neither seems to be in a rush to re-sign the forward. If he is eventually forced to look elsewhere to continue playing, Memphis would provide him with a city to contend and perhaps get a little bit of revenge.

Odom, who has career averages of 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, would give the Grizzlies someone who could play either forward position and could possibly step in at center in some small ball line-ups. While he has been in the league 14 seasons and is coming off one of his worst, Odom could still potentially be solid contributor for a team that is chasing a title.

However, it's unlikely Odom would be able to stay 100% focused on the Grizzlies and winning between having to deal with his celebrity wife, Khloe Kardashian, their reality show, and their constant desire to be in Los Angeles. Also, Odom would likely demand more money than the Memphis front office would be willing to pay the forward. Considering they have most of the pieces in place for next season, don't expect the Grizzlies to cripple their cap to sign anyone at this stage.

News & Notes On The Memphis Grizzlies Latest Moves

- Memphis is reportedly interested in signing veteran free agent Mo Williams. While there are plenty of teams still in the race for the point guard who averaged 12.8 points per game for the Utah Jazz last season, Marc Stein of ESPN reports that Williams has now started to strongly consider joining the Grizzlies.

Any contract would likely only be for one or two seasons, as the team doesn't have the cap space to offer Williams the kind of long-term deal he is searching to land this offseason. If he were to sign a one year deal with Memphis, he would have the opportunity to once again play for a contender and then have the option next summer to return or try to sign with a team long-term for more money.

Williams has played in the spotlight before, as he was one of LeBron James best teammates during his days in Cleveland and helped lead the Cavaliers deep in the playoffs on a couple of occasions. After spending last season with the struggling Jazz, Williams is strongly leaning towards joining a contender for the season at this point after a lack of interest around the league in giving him the deal he wants.

- Mike Miller has decided to return to the Memphis Grizzlies. Miller chose returning to Memphis after being courted by a number of teams including the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, and others. He has said he decided to return to the Grizzlies because he believes they are the closest team to being ready to make the NBA Finals in the West.

Miller played in Memphis from 2002-08 and still has a home in the area. While he was a big contributor to the Heat over the past few seasons, Miami was unwilling to pay the massive tax hit that would've came if they had decided to keep him. If can stay healthy, which has always been a problem for Miller, he could be the missing piece the Grizzlies lacked during this most recent postseason run.

Expect the coaching staff to play Miller on limited occasions during the regular season in an effort to keep him near 100% for when the playoffs begin. New head coach Dave Joerger would be wise to let his younger players get the minutes during a bulk of the regular season, then start working Miller comfortably into the line-up towards March or April for the postseason.

- The Grizzlies and second round pick Jamaal Franklin have officially agreed to a three year contract, with the third year being a team option. Franklin, who Memphis selected with the 41st overall selection, was considered a late first round pick by many scouts and has been viewed as one of the steals of the second round by many draft analysts.

Franklin spent three years at San Diego State and averaged 16.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in his final season with the Aztecs. He is also talented on the defensive side of the ball, making him a solid all-around addition to the team. However, he needs to work on his shooting, especially from distance, as Franklin only averaged 27% from three last season.

If he can develop his shot, Franklin could turn into a very solid contributor off the bench for the Grizzlies. While he may struggle to get minutes early in his career, I wouldn't be surprised if Franklin eventually becomes one of the team's most important players on the bench. He could also develop into one the team's best defenders, as many people have started to compare Franklin to teammate Tony Allen on that end of the floor.

Should The Grizzlies Bring Mike Miller Back To Town?

Following his departure from the Miami Heat, which was a result of the team using it's one time amnesty clause, Mike Miller is fresh on the hunt for another contender to sign with and there have been reports linking him to quite a few teams with title dreams. However, some of these teams may have certain advantages against their rivals in getting Miller to sign on the dotted line.

Among the teams that have potential interest in adding Miller to their rotations, including the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, I see three that really stick out to me as being possible front runners.

Miller has openly stated since his release that he would explore signing with the Clippers, a decision fueled by his desire to re-unite with new Clippers head coach Doc Rivers, whom Miller played for back in Orlando early in his career. While the Clippers may have mutual interest with Miller, I'm not convinced they would sign him after their medical staff evaluates him. He has been plagued by injury/illness in recent seasons, making it a gamble for any team to sign him. However, I think he is due for a pretty healthy season and for him to be ignited by the fact he isn't in South Beach anymore.

The Thunder, who according to Ken Berger, might be the front-runners, as he said Miller has been telling friends he was signing with Oklahoma City. The Thunder obviously makes sense as a destination, since many still have them pegged as the front-runner in the West this season. While Miller could be brought in to replace some of the output the team lost when Kevin Martin went to Minnesota, that could lead the team to push Miller too far with minutes, practices, etc. with his known injury history.

The Grizzlies would make sense because Miller still owns property here and has plenty of friends in the region from his previous stint with the franchise from 2002 until 2008. While Memphis might not be as close to winning a title as the repeating champion Heat, the San Antonio Spurs (their latest victim), or the Oklahoma City Thunder, the addition of a shooter like Miller could potentially be the team's missing piece from making it to the NBA Finals and potentially bringing a title to town.

Miller would give the Grizzlies a threat that would make it much easier for the team to space the floor on offense and make things easier for Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol inside the paint. Also, with both of the Grizzlies' front court stars being terrific passers for their size, they could get the ball back out to Miller and more often that not, end up with open look from a player with a career average of 40% from downtown and was a scorching 45% during the 2011-12 season.

Miller would also bring a championship mentality to the team, which would be another major positive in bringing him back. Tony Allen brought it from his run with the Boston Celtics, and the team has improved every season since he signed here. Bringing Tayshaun Prince in this past season definitely didn't hurt like many critics thought it would, as the team made it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history with him. Bringing in Miller may just be the final piece to pushing the Grizzlies to the championship level.

With so many teams being interested in the two-time NBA champion, it may take at least a few days for a deal to be reached with any franchise. Miller could sign virtually anywhere because he really could play for virtually nothing this season, as he will still be receiving his salary for this season he was scheduled to receive, which is in the area of $6.2 million. With Miller already reeling in that money, he will likely sign with a team for the veteran minimum.

Hopefully, when it comes down to it, Miller will choose to come play back somewhere he feels at home and already has a network of close friends. The Grizzlies could guarantee him a role as sixth man and have him relieve Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince for about 20 minutes a game or so, depending on what the team medical staff thinks will be best for extending his career and avoiding more injuries.

While teams like the Spurs and Thunder might give him better odds of winning a title, would he be as fond of one of those cities as much as he is of Memphis? As I mentioned, I believe Miller could be the last piece we need to finally get to the main event and make the NBA Finals, and hopefully when he is evaluating the rosters of his suitors, he will realize the same thing when he gets to the Grizzlies roster.

Grizzlies Cruise Past Wizards 90-83 In Opening Round Of Inaugural Vegas Summer League Tourney

After mighty struggles through their first three games out in Vegas, losing all three of their games to Chicago, Cleveland, and Phoenix heading into the tournament, the Grizzlies finally figured things out in the opening round of the Vegas tourney.

The Grizzlies, behind 43 combined points from guard Tony Wroten (23) and Jack Cooley (20), with Donte Greene adding another 16 points, got out to a big lead after three quarters. It was the second time Cooley has dropped 20 points in the tourney twice, turning him into one of the more watched players in the tourney.

The Wizards didn't just roll over and die, cutting a 17 point lead entering the fourth quarter all the way down to seven. Unfortunately, it just wasn't quite enough for them to get a win over Memphis.

Chris Singleton (16), Jan Vesely (15), and Glen Rice Jr. (14) were the top three scorers for the Wizards, but they just couldn't pull far enough out of the hole they were in after the first three quarters.

The Grizzlies next tourney game will come against the Charlotte Bobcats, who have been led by potential tourney MVP Cody Zeller, who has put up some pretty impressive numbers so far in summer league play.

Hopefully, the Grizzlies can find a way to get past the Bobcats and keep their tournament chances alive. While it's definitely not the NBA Playoffs, winning the Inaugural Vegas summer league tourney would be a pretty impressive finish after a 0-3 start heading into the tournament.

Meanwhile, I can continue to hold out hope that Jamaal Franklin will get his ankle healthy enough to play a few minutes in summer league to give Grizzlies fans a preview of what we have to look forward to this year and hopefully for a long time.

How Have The Grizzlies Done So Far This Summer In Free Agency & The Draft?

The Grizzlies have done a great job thus far during their first offseason under new owner Robert Pera, making the moves seemingly necessary to continue on their track towards their first NBA championship.

In their first order of business, the team re-signed guard Tony Allen to a four-year, $20 million deal that will keep the originator of the Grizzlies "grit and grind" defensive style in a Memphis uniform for the foreseeable future, something that will excite many Grizzlies fans as Allen has grown into a team favorite amongst local fans since arriving here three years ago.

The team also decided to bring back Jon Leuer, liking him enough after acquiring him midseason in  a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign him to a three-year, $3 million deal. He likely won't be a major contributor moving forward, however, he will be able to provide solid minutes off the bench when needed.

In the 2013 NBA Draft, the Grizzlies might have had one of the best nights of any team in the league, all without even having a first round pick. After trying to find a deal to move into the late part of the first round and failing, Memphis rolled the dice and hoped their guy would still be there for their 42st pick.

Luckily, the team hit the jackpot, drafting combo guard Jamaal Franklin out of San Diego State and landing the same player they were trying to move into the first round to acquire. The 6'5 Franklin played three seasons at San Diego State, averaging 16.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks this past season.

Although I didn't see many (if any) San Diego State games this past season, I've heard Franklin plays with the same defensive ferocity of Tony Allen and he apparently has a decent jump shot, averaging 43% during his three college seasons. He also shot 78% from the free throw line, something that could be improved upon, but isn't terrible by any stretch either. If Franklin lives up to expectations, he could be one of the pieces to take us to the next level.

Instead of drafting someone with the 55th pick in the draft, the Grizzlies packaged the pick with forward Darrell Arthur and sent them to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for center Kosta Koufos. Koufos started for the Nuggets last season ahead of JaVale McGee and averaged 8.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game with a PER of 17.22 for the season.

He will provide a clear upgrade in the front court and finally give Memphis a reliable big man to come off the bench behind Marc Gasol. And by moving Arthur, the Grizzlies freed up more playing time for promising young power forward Ed Davis, who played extremely well in stretches last season after being acquired from Toronto and should be a major contributor to our roster this season.

The Grizzlies also took Janis Timma with the 60th and final pick of the draft, however, he will likely remain overseas for at least another season or two, if he ever ends up making the leap to the NBA at all.

The team is still reportedly talking with several free agents, with Travis Outlaw's name being one of the most commonly mentioned. If the Grizzlies are able to add someone like Outlaw who is able to stretch the floor on a consistent basis and keep teams from loading the paint on defense, it could be the move that truly makes Memphis a title contender.

Meeting Newly Re-Signed Memphis Grizzlie's Guard Tony Allen

Unfortunately, I don't have some interesting story about how I just happened to have had a chance run-in with my favorite Memphis Grizzlies player at the mall or some random restaurant, but I still got the opportunity to meet Tony Allen this past weekend at an autograph signing.

On the weekend leading into free agency, when most impending free agents are in their own little worlds thinking about their next pay days or where they are going to run away to go chase after championships, Allen instead spent his Saturday afternoon on June 29th signing autographs for hundreds of Memphis Grizzlies' fans at the Ashley's Furniture on North Germantown Parkway.

My two friends and I arrived to the event around 1:15 PM, about 45 minutes before the official 2 PM start and we were still behind about 50 or so people in line. By the time Allen walked out, there were already fans wrapped/snaked around the entire inside of the store.

While there was no official number given for the number of fans that showed up for a chance to meet Allen, local ESPN Radio personality Chris Vernon told me there were easily over 450 fans in attendance by 2:30 PM and that the number of fans that showed up dwarfed the turnout for the Zach Randolph signing the same venue had previously hosted.

After about 30 minutes or so, we finally reached the front of the line and got to meet him and get his autograph and a quick word with him. While I can't remember what my two friends said to him, I appreciated him for everything he has done to change the culture of the team and begged him to come back.

At the suggestion of one of my friends, we got him to sign our posters Tony "the Grindfather" Allen, based after a nickname the previously mentioned radio host Chris Vernon had given him. He was also nice enough to take a quick picture with me after he signed my poster:

Tony Allen & Myself



While I have attended several autograph signings with athletes over the years, this was definitely one of my favorites because he was a great guy in person and came off like he was just another regular dude. The four-year, $20 million extension Allen signed with the team was well earned and I am extremely glad to have the father of "Grit and Grind" around Memphis for a long while to come.

Perhaps the fact he spent some of his final hours before hitting free agency meeting and greeting with all of his Grizzlies' faithful was a sign he already knew exactly where he planned to spend the next chapter of his career.

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