Vote: How much would you give up for Mike Conley?

Using the same premise as my article on How much would give up for Jrue Holiday?, let’s vote on what Mike Conley is worth.

I am proposing, receiving and negotiating trades with other blog managers but let’s make this as clear as any NBA front office executive would: I AM NOT SHOPPING ANY PARTICULAR PLAYERS, I am simply picking up the phone when they call and it would be rude not to engage in conversation, amiright.

All the SB Nation basketball blogs get together each year to conduct a mock draft, and trades can be done as long as at least one current (2019) first round pick is included in the deal. I am going through the draft board, and engaging with teams who might be interested in the No. 6 pick owned by the Suns, to see whether I can make the Suns better.

This is NOT about whether the player is available in real life. It’s only about whether that team’s SB Nation Blog Manager thinks he is.

I know Gambo says Suns don’t want Conley. But it’s quite possible BRIGHT SIDE wants Conley.

In this weekend’s vote on Jrue Holiday, most of you would eschew one of the best possible point guards in the league if it took Mikal Bridges along with the No. 6 pick to get him.

• Yes on Holiday for No. 6 and Bridges: 38%
• No: 62%

I’m not saying whether I agree or disagree with the vote. The results of the mock draft won’t be posted until mid June, so you’ll have to find out then.

In the coming days/weeks, I’ll ask your opinion on potential deals to help crowd-source my decision making.

Now it’s your turn to vote on a potential deal for Mike Conley, the point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Like Holiday, Conley is a two-way point who every year comes up just shy of being named to the All-Star team.

Last year, Conley almost single-handedly carried the Grizzlies to 33 wins. The Grizzlies finished the year quite strong despite having a since-fired interim coach (J.B. Bickerstaff) and suffering the losses of freaky freshman Jaren Jackson Jr. (injury) and Marc Gasol (trade).

They won 10 of their last 22 games with Conley’s best teammates being Avery Bradley, Delon Wright, Justin Holiday, Jonas Valanciunas and Bruno Caboclo — all castoffs from other teams.

Sure he’s nearing the end of his peak, but he just finished his best year. In his age 31 year, he put up career highs in points (21.4) and assists (6.4) while posting some of his best all-around numbers in most every other category as well. All while the Grizzlies maintained a Top-3 defense, headed by the talent and hustle of Conley.

Conley is expensive. He will turn 32 this coming year, and has two years remaining on his contract at $32.5 million next year, then $34.5 million the year after.

Acquiring Conley via trade, which requires salary matching, would allow the Suns to still spend a bit in free agency while also keeping Kelly Oubre Jr.

The Grizzlies, armed with the No. 2 pick after lady luck smiled on them in the lottery, would love to rebuild completely. So they want to acquire more first round picks to surround future star Jaren Jackson Jr.

Would you trade the No. 6 pick and some contracts for Mike Conley? How about if we could finally get the right Brooks back?

The offer would be:

• Suns get Mike Conley ($32.5 million), Dillon Brooks ($1.6 million, expiring), C.J. Miles ($8.7 million, expiring)
• Grizzlies get the No. 6 pick, T.J. Warren ($10.8 million), Josh Jackson ($7 million), Tyler Johnson ($19.25 million, expiring)

This deal nets out the cost of the No. 6 pick between the two teams, even though draft picks don’t technically have any value in a trade before July 1. Still, to be fair this makes the net salary impact next to 0 for each team.

The Suns depth chart after this would be:

• Mike Conley, Elie Okobo, De’Anthony Melton
• Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, C.J. Miles
• Kelly Oubre Jr., Mikal Bridges
• PF to be named*
• Deandre Ayton, Holmes?

*Suns would still have about $12 million in free agency to acquire a power forward, and then could exceed the salary cap to re-sign Kelly Oubre Jr. and possibly even Richaun Holmes to deal that exceed their cap holds.

Mike Conley running the show for Monty Williams and his veteran assistant coaching staff without giving up any of our best young players? Yes please.

I can definitely see one or both of Conley and Booker making the All-Star game, and we would have kept the best two swingmen while also finally acquiring the young, but injury-prone, Dillon Brooks who also has two-way potential.

What say you, Suns fans?