The Grizzlies are maximizing its two-way contracts
The Memphis Grizzlies have experienced immense success with its two-way contracts, and the organization's converted players and future two-way plans will be key to roster construction going forward.
Amid an injury-ravaged season, the Memphis Grizzlies’ biggest development came from their two-way contracts. As opportunities were created due to an influx of injuries, two-way players Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson rose to the occasion, emerged as key fixtures in the team’s plans now and going forward, and were eventually rewarded for it with 4-year contracts.
“That’s the definition of taking advantage of the opportunity,” John Konchar said of the 2 young wings.
For the Memphis Grizzlies, their success with two-way contract stems from the inception of this new era in 2019. Since Taylor Jenkins and Zach Kleiman took over, the Grizzlies have converted 5 players from two-way contracts to standard deals — John Konchar, Killian Tillie, Kenneth Lofton Jr., Vince Williams Jr., and GG Jackson. And though not all of them are currently on the roster, it’s a testament to all parties involved — the player’s skill and work ethic, the front office’s talent identification, and the coaching staffs of the Grizzlies and Hustle for their development plans.
“I think it goes to our front office’s scouting ability. I think they’ve done a great job identifying guys in the draft,” Taylor Jenkins said. “We actually talk about how those are prime roster spots for us to get guys that are going to impact winning at the at the end of the day in whatever role they’re going to serve. We have guys stepping up now in the starting lineup that were two-way guys that have been converted or still on two-ways that are making an impact for us.”
As a whole, rosters are becoming filled with more two-way alumni. The Grizzlies have 5 players that have seen their two-way contract converted into a main-roster deal — Konchar, Jackson, Williams, Lamar Stevens, and Yuta Watanabe. Only the Cleveland Cavaliers have as many two-way alumni on its roster, and the Miami Heat is the only team that have converted more of its own two-way players currently on the roster.
The two-way contract has become a luxury, when utilized effectively, as it’s an inexpensive means of rounding out the roster with role depth with upside to grow into a consistent contributor. And the Grizzlies have capitalized on these roster spots.
John Konchar was the 1st player converted from a two-way contract to a main contract in franchise history. Coming out of Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne, Konchar was an analytics darling that stuffed the stat sheet in an astonishing way — became the 1st player in NCAA D1 history to finish with at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 500 assists and 200 steals through his career.
Things were different when Konchar was on a 2-way, as the NBA has expanded their availability. Before, 2-way players were only granted 45 days (travel included). Now, they can play up to 50 games.
Like Williams and Jackson this season, Konchar received his opportunity when the team was hit with injuries prior to the pandemic in 2020. He had an arrival game against the Lakers at home — scoring 5 points (with a big 3) and generating 3 stocks, including a block on Dwight Howard. The following offseason, the Grizzlies rewarded Konchar with a 4-year deal.
Since then, Konchar grew from a two-way player, to the “next man up,” to a full-time member of the rotation. He has an imprint on winning basketball with his rebounding, passing, and creating defensive events. He actually led all shooting guards in block percentage (4.1), per dunksandthrees. His contributions netted him a 3-year, $19M extensions that’ll kick in next season.
With how Konchar has always had to stay ready through the two-way contract and his role in the rotation the past 5 years, he’s been one of the lead examples for how to approach this experience with his actions and his advice for the younger guys.
“I always talk to those guys. When you’re down in the G League, play your hardest and play the right way. Move the ball. That’s how we want to play.” - Konchar
Little did we know that John Konchar’s development through his two-way contract laid a foundation for how the organization could continue maximizing these slots.
Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson’s development has been discussed ad nauseam, including on how it’s changed the calculus for the Grizzlies’ plans.
On their respective draft nights, the two players had different narratives around them. Williams was more of the type we’ve seen from the Grizzlies’ front office — older college prospect, defensive event creator, and analytics stud. Jackson was the traditional upside swing, the young college prospect who fell down the board after a tough freshman year.
Both players didn’t have a whole lot of time with the Memphis Hustle — as Williams battled injuries last season, and Jackson spent half of the year with them. A barrage of injuries opened up playing time, and those two players attacked the opportunity.
Williams’ value immediately shined as a defender and a rebounder. He was tasked with guarding the league’s elite players, and did so with flying colors. His rebounding really popped off the page for a team depleted of big man depth, as this skill allows for better lineup optionality. Williams is a constant when it comes to net-positive basketball — a two-way wing that wreaks havoc and never has an off-switch on the court.
“Honestly just go out there working hard with effort, and it’s going to show eventually,” Williams said.
Over time, especially with the necessity of injuries, Williams grew comfortable with a heightened offensive role. His efficiency held pretty well even with increased creation responsibilities. More impressively, he made some intriguing reads when granted more playmaking chances.
His emergence gives the Grizzlies more role depth in various departments: perimeter defensive stopper, committee rebounder, and next-action playmaker.
GG Jackson was headed for a redshirt season with the Hustle after a draft-night tumble — he even acknowledged one of his goals this year was G League Rookie of the Year. While he acknowledges how he mishandled things at South Carolina that led to his fall on draft night, this experience on a 2-way helped him grow as a professional.
“I developed habits that I never had playing basketball before, regarding work habits. My work ethic has definitely changed. Before, I used to try let being better than everybody try to take over. But in this league, everybody is better. So you just got to continue work, work on your craft, and being as coachable as possible.”
Jackson’s Hustle performances were something followers of the team were monitoring. Once the door opened for him, he made his presence known, showcasing his tantalizing upside as a teenage 6’9” wing. To paraphrase Zach Kleiman, GG Jackson wasn’t just having flashes — he was stringing things together and impacting winning.
The scoring potential catches the eyeballs — the crossovers, the stepback 3’s, the parking-lot 3’s, the mid-range jumpers, or the drives to the basket… the bag, as the youth say. Jackson’s versatility through his role progression stood out to me the most though. His scalable scoring as a catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter and as a play-finisher made it easier to dream about his fit next to Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. in a healthier context.
Over time, Taylor Jenkins challenged him with more creation opportunities, while also assigning him to the other team’s best players. Though there were bumps along the way (mainly inefficient shooting nights), Jackson showed even more promise with these various roles the past 3 months.
“It’s really showing myself the different levels of versatility I can unlock in the coming years. Never would’ve expected I would be out there guarding those type of guys, because in college, I wasn’t trying to play defense. I was just trying to shoot and do different things like that. It’s a nice lesson from God getting to see everything come full circle.” — GG Jackson
With GG Jackson and Vince Williams, their hard work with the Hustle and when their number was called on the main roster was rewarded. Now, they have become two answers in the team’s wing rotation — and could be in line for progressing roles in the coming years.
After the Grizzlies converted Williams and Jackson’s contracts, they filled the open two-way spots by addressing positions of need — signing Trey Jemison and Scotty Pippen Jr. to two-year, two-way deals. In the process, they serviceably performed their roles in positions the Grizzlies needed help.
The 6’11”, 260-pound Trey Jemison provided needed muscle in the center rotation, especially since the Grizzlies traded away (injured) Steven Adams and Xavier Tillman near the trade deadline. From his 10-day contract to the end of the season, he faced the challenges of guarding the league’s best big men. He became more comfortable leveraging his strength and learning his teammates in the pick-and-roll.
“Just being confident,” Jemison said. “I trust God and trust the work. I work my tail off, and trust God to do the rest.”
Scotty Pippen Jr. was not a stranger to the 2-way experience. Last year, he was a part of the Los Angeles Lakers organization on a 2-way contract. However, the majority of his minutes were in the G League. Once he signed with the Grizzlies in January, he didn’t play a single minute with the Hustle, providing solid guard depth in his first real NBA minutes.
“I feel like this is my rookie year. It’s my first time playing NBA minutes, so honestly it’s night and day,” Pippen said. “The speed of the game is slowing down for me. I’m still trying to get comfortable. I’m still making reads and stuff like that, trying to adjust to the game and feel.”
Pippen’s production as a rookie point guard was so impressive. Next season, he could be the 3rd point guard behind Ja Morant and the stagger between Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane.
While it wasn’t the traditional two-way experience for Jemison and Pippen, their growth and production were encouraging down the stretch. For them, they’ve seen the blueprint with the two-way players where hard work was recognized and rewarded.
“It’s definitely motivating going to a place where you see guys work hard and eventually are rewarded for it. I don’t try to think about that too much, because I can get away from the game. Just going out there everyday playing hard and playing for my teammates.” - Pippen
“Oh for sure,” Jemison said of the motivation. “The front office knows what they’re doing. They develop players, and it’s working as you can see. Hopefully, I can keep on that same path of getting better each and everyday. Hopefully, one day, when my time comes, I can get that call.”
The Grizzlies’ roster is up in the air for next year, and with the two-way contracts, the draft and other roster choices league-wide could dictate how they fill those slots. Nonetheless, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Trey Jemison are solid players to roll with, if the Grizzlies maintain this direction.
The two-way contract will continue to be a key roster-building component for the Memphis Grizzlies. The roster will be more expensive with Desmond Bane’s max-contract extension kicking in. They’re currently slated for the first apron of the luxury tax, barring further roster maneuvering to shed money.
Two-way contracts are a resourceful way of adding depth, especially with the 3rd two-way spot added this season. It could be used to add more shooting, more size, more ball-handling, more defense, or even more upside with a younger prospect. If it pans out the way it has for the Grizzlies, those players can be secured for even longer on main roster deals.
“Adding the third two-way spot gives you more depth and more development opportunity to find guys that are going to impact winning, and that’s what we set out to do in the first year,” Jenkins said. “There’s a lot of scouting that gets involved, whether it’s a guy that’s coming out of the draft, a guy that’s in the G-League, maybe it’s someone that’s overseas or a guy that’s been in the league that’s early in his career.”
Going into this offseason too, there will be even more emphasis on the second round and two-way contracts. The NBA is splitting the draft into 2 nights for the 1st and 2nd round, giving decision-makers time to regroup and negotiate ahead of the 2nd round. For organizations like the Grizzlies that are calculated with their approach with two-way contracts, this change will be beneficial for them. The Grizzlies this year will also have the 39th and 57th picks in the second round, which could be utilized for two-way contracts.
How they approach the roster and the draft will be massive for the Memphis Grizzlies. While the lottery pick, among other roster decisions, will have the most attention, their plans with their 2-way spots could be once again be an avenue to find value and develop another role player there.
After all, if we’ve learned anything from the past 5 years, the Memphis Grizzlies organization — from the front office, coaching staff, the Hustle, and its players — maximized the value of its two-way contracts through guys like John Konchar, Vince Williams Jr., and GG Jackson. And the value extracted from these two-way contracts could pay big dividends for this team’s trajectory.
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