Point guards got paid.Much like the quarterback in football, the point guard is still a critical component in basketball, the on-court leader of a club in most cases — and in the opening two days of free agency, teams paid accordingly for that spot.Free agency wasn't even 24 hours old and more than $1 billion had been committed to point guards, led by the $196 million extension that Damian Lillard will be signing with Portland, the reported $170 million extension for Jamal Murray in Denver and the $141 million deals for Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker.There's never been an offseason in NBA history where point guards have gotten that much, and there's still plenty more left to be signed."I'm a leader in my own way," Walker wrote in an essay directed to his old fans in Charlotte and soon-to-be-new fans in Boston that was published by The Players Tribune. "I'm never going to shout anyone off the court, or get overly negative. It's not my style. But what I do is I take pride in making my teammates... [More]

Point guards got paid.Much like the quarterback in football, the point guard is still a critical component in basketball, the on-court leader of a club in most cases — and in the opening two days of free agency, teams paid accordingly for that spot.Free agency wasn't even 24 hours old and more than $1 billion had been committed to point guards, led by the $196 million extension that Damian Lillard will be signing with Portland, the reported $170 million extension for Jamal Murray in Denver and the $141 million deals for Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker.There's never been an offseason in NBA history where point guards have gotten that much, and there's still plenty more left to be signed."I'm a leader in my own way," Walker wrote in an essay directed to his old fans in Charlotte and soon-to-be-new fans in Boston that was published by The Players Tribune. "I'm never going to shout anyone off the court, or get overly negative. It's not my style. But what I do is I take pride in making my teammates... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A season that opened with such promise for the Grizzlies wound up as one of the franchise's worst since moving to Memphis.The Grizzlies couldn't have started better than 5-1, sitting near the top of the Western Conference standings with a pair of early wins over the Houston Rockets and a home victory over the Golden State Warriors. By the end, the Grizzlies' hopes of an eighth straight postseason appearance turned to hopefully landing a top two pick in June's NBA draft.When the injuries started, most notably what wound up a season-ending left heel-Achilles tendon injury to point guard Mike Conley, the season imploded. And kept getting worse through multiple double-digit losing streaks. The first long slide cost coach David Fizdale his job after a short tenure and leaving interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff at the helm.The change didn't help as the Grizzlies lost 19 straight between early February and mid-March — the longest skid since the team moved to Memphis in 2001."It's... [More]

G Mario Chalmers had 16 points on 6 of 10 shooting and added four steals off the bench in Friday's win over the Hawks.

G Mario Chalmers led Memphis with 21 points and added six rebounds and six assists in a loss to Portland on Monday.

G Mario Chalmers scored 12 points in Saturday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Chalmers reached double digits for the fourth time after going 3 of 12 Wednesday vs. Orlando.

G Mario Chalmers started for G Mike Conley, who rested a sore Achilles but it did not go well.He made just 3 of 12 shots from the floor, went 1 of 4 from long distance and had five assists and four steals. He didn't dispute coach David Fizdale's claim that he was out of control at the end of the fourth quarter when he drove and tried to draw a foul and lost the ball, with Fizdale calling it a "bonehead play. Said Chalmers: "I filled in for Mike, I gotta be the person to take control like Mike takes control and run the team, and I didn't do that tonight. I feel like I lost the game for us."

G Mario Chalmers was signed to a contract by the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, one day after the guard unofficially announced the news over social media. Multiple media outlets reported that Chalmers agreed to a one-year deal. Chalmers, 31, has recovered from a torn right Achilles tendon he sustained in March 2016 while playing for the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies released Chalmers after he was injured, and he missed the entire 2016-17 NBA season.

The Memphis Grizzlies signed Mario Chalmers to a contract on Wednesday, one day after the guard unofficially announced the news over social media.The team did not divulge terms of the deal for Chalmers, who used Instagram on Tuesday to post a picture of himself in a Grizzlies uniform with a caption that read "GNG... enough said." Grit and grind is the Grizzlies' motto.Multiple media outlets reported that Chalmers agreed to a one-year deal.Chalmers, 31, has recovered from a torn right Achilles tendon he sustained in March 2016 while playing for the Grizzlies.The Grizzlies released Chalmers after he was injured, and he missed the entire 2016-17 NBA season.Chalmers developed a relationship with Grizzlies coach David Fizdale when Chalmers played for the Miami Heat and Fizdale was a Heat assistant.The Grizzlies acquired Chalmers from the Heat in a trade that sent Beno Udrih to Miami early in the 2015-16 season.Chalmers averaged 10.8 points, 3.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 55 games with the Grizzlies in 2015-16.Chalmers is likely to be a backup at both guard positions.

G Mario Chalmers, who ruptured his right Achilles tendon Wednesday, was waived by the Grizzlies on Thursday.The injury, which occurred in the third quarter of Memphis' 116-96 road loss to the Celtics, will keep Chalmers out for the rest of the season. Chalmers came to the Grizzlies in a Nov. 10 trade with the Heat, and he produced 10.8 points and 3.8 assists per game in 55 contests with Memphis.Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace said in a statement: "With Mario's season-ending injury and our already depleted roster, it became necessary to free up a roster spot."

Adding insult to injury, the Memphis Grizzlies waived point guard Mario Chalmers on Thursday, a day after he ruptured his right Achilles tendon.The injury, which occurred in the third quarter of Memphis' 116-96 road loss to the Boston Celtics, will keep Chalmers out for the rest of the season.Chalmers came to the Grizzlies in a Nov. 10 trade with the Miami Heat, and he produced 10.8 points and 3.8 assists per game in 55 contests with Memphis.Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement: "Mario did an incredible job for us since coming to Memphis. Right from the start, he embraced his change of scenery and endeared himself to his teammates and coaches on the court and the Memphis community off of it."He has been an important part of our success this season, both coming off the bench and when called upon as a starter. But with Mario's season-ending injury and our already depleted roster, it became necessary to free up a roster spot."Chalmers tweeted, "I wanna thank all my fans for the good well wishes. Just a little minor setback for a major comeback."Chalmers, 29, was Miami's second-round pick in 2008 out of Kansas, and he was part of the team's championship seasons with LeBron James. In 580 career games (390 starts), he averaged nine points, 3.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game.

G Mario Chalmers was helped to the locker room in the third quarter after twisting his ankle following his own missed shot. A local television commentator tweeted he saw Chalmers, who had 11 points, five rebounds and five assists, say, "I heard it pop."Chalmers left TD Garden in a wheel chair, his right leg in a brace.

G Mario Chalmers joined the ever-growing list of Memphis Grizzlies injuries when he twisted his right ankle in the third quarter of Wednesday's game against the Boston Celtics and had to be helped off the floor.

BOSTON -- Mario Chalmers joined the ever-growing list of Memphis Grizzlies injuries when he twisted his right ankle in the third quarter of Wednesday's game against the Boston Celtics and had to be helped off the floor.The Grizzlies, already without four starters, lost Chalmers, a key man off their bench, with 6:57 left in the third quarter.Chalmers, averaging 10.3 points per game coming in, had 11 points, five rebounds and five assists when he was injured following his missed jump shot. He immediately went to the floor and signaled the bench as the play went the other way.He was helped off the floor to the dressing room, and a local television commentator tweeted that he saw Chalmers say, "I heard it pop."The Grizzlies started the game with only nine available players, one more than the NBA minimum.

G Mario Chalmers had 17 points and seven assists starting in place of Mike Conley.

G Mario Chalmers had 15 points off the bench for the Grizzlies (35-24), who are now 5-2 without center Marc Gasol.

G Mario Chalmers added 17 points for Memphis Sunday.

G Mario Chalmers led the Grizzlies' assist brigade (28) with 10 and also chipped in seven points.

G Mario Chalmers picked up a loose ball and fired an off-balance 15-footer with 0.8 seconds left, givng the Grizzlies a 103-101 victory over the Pistons.Chalmers carried the Grizzlies with 25 points and eight assists, again starting in place of the injured Mike Conley. "Kudos to management for getting Mario Chalmers," said Memphis coach Dave Joerger, referring to the four-player deal in November that that brought Chalmers in from Miami. "Good trade."

G Mario Chalmers came off the bench to pace Memphis with 23 points, eight rebounds and nine assists in a loss at Oklahoma City on Wednesday.