After years of putting off the inevitable, the Memphis Grizzlies finally traded Mike Conley earlier this offseason. Ahead of the 2019 NBA Draft, the Grizzlies traded Conley to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Grayson Allen, Kyle Korver and two first-round picks, one of which they used on Brandon Clarke on draft night.

Now, with the Moratorium lifted, the trade has become official, and in the aftermath Grizzlies owner Robert J. Pera released a statement thanking Conley for his contributions to the franchise and city. In addition, Pera announced that the Grizzlies will one day retire Conley’s jersey. 

Pera’s statement:

Mike Conley represented the Grizzlies and the City of Memphis with true heart and class during his 12 seasons. His talent, determination and resilience elevated our team to a perennial playoff contender, and his altriuism and sportsmanship helped shape the community focused nature of our franchise. For his innumberable contributions on the court and in our community, Mike will always be a beloved Memphian. We are proud that Mike’s #11 jersey will one day be raised to the rafters in FedEx Forum.

This an impressive, and well-deserved honor for Conley, who not only developed into one of the best point guards in the league during his time with the Grizzlies, but was instrumental in building their Grit’n’Grind culture. Conley was a menace on the defensive end and last season became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, but as Pera noted, was also an excellent teammate. He won the Sportsmanship Award three different times, as well as the Teammate of the Year Award last season. 

And while play on the court is important, those additional aspects are perhaps even more vital in creating a long-lasting connection to the franchise and city. It’s not yet clear when the team will retire Conley’s jersey, but when the time comes it is sure to be an emotional event.