 Conley with theMemphis Grizzlies in 2013 | |
| No. 10 – Minnesota Timberwolves | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1987-10-11)October 11, 1987 (age 38) Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lawrence North(Indianapolis, Indiana) |
| College | Ohio State (2006–2007) |
| NBA draft | 2007: 1st round, 4th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Memphis Grizzlies |
| Playing career | 2007–present |
| Career history | |
| 2007–2019 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2019–2023 | Utah Jazz |
| 2023–present | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Michael Alexander Conley Jr. (born October 11, 1987) is an American professionalbasketball player for theMinnesota Timberwolves of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted as the fourth overall pick in the2007 NBA draft by theMemphis Grizzlies.
Mike Conley Jr. played basketball for Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. Conley played alongsideGreg Oden, a future Ohio State teammate and NBA 1st round draft pick. The duo won three state championships and 103 games during their four years at high school. Conley spent 12 seasons with the Grizzlies and became the team's all-time leading scorer before being traded to theUtah Jazz in 2019, where he would make his first All-Star Game in 2021, then traded again to the Timberwolves in 2023. Conley has the mostNBA Sportsmanship Awards of all time, with four selections.
In his freshman year at Ohio State, Conley averaged 11.3 points and led theBig Ten Conference inassists with 6.1 per game. Conley and fellow freshman starGreg Oden led theBuckeyes to a Big Ten conference championship and a runner-up finish in theNCAA Tournament.[1]
On the road to the championship game, the Buckeyes defeatedCentral Connecticut State,Xavier,Tennessee,Memphis, andGeorgetown. They lost the championship game to the repeat national championFlorida. Conley's best performance in the tournament was in the game against Xavier. He recorded 21 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks as Ohio State defeated the Musketeers inovertime. Oden fouled out in regulation, and Conley scored 11 of his 21 points in the extra period.[2]
Ending the season with totals of 441 points and 238 assists, Conley was named to the All-Big Ten First Team.
After his freshman year, Conley announced his intention to enter the2007 NBA draft, as did Oden. To preserve his eligibility to withdraw from the draft, he initially did not sign with an agent, but he signed with his father several weeks before the draft.[3]
Conley joined fellow BuckeyesGreg Oden andDaequan Cook in declaring for the2007 NBA draft; both Conley and Oden were represented by Conley's father, whom the NBA certified as an agent earlier in the year. TheMemphis Grizzlies drafted Conley as the fourth overall pick after Oden,Kevin Durant, andAl Horford.
Conley had his first major appearances in January 2008. In his first five career games, he scored 5, 10, 11, 11, and 15 points, respectively. He scored a season-high 20 points with 7 assists in a 134–124 loss to theCleveland Cavaliers.[4] Conley finished his rookie year with averages of 9.4 points and 4.2 assists per game.
Conley started his sophomore campaign competing withKyle Lowry for minutes. On January 25, 2009, the Grizzlies madeLionel Hollins the head coach afterMarc Iavaroni was fired. On February 19, 2009, Lowry was traded to theHouston Rockets, which put Conley in the starting lineup. He averaged 10.8 points and 4.3 assists per game for the year.[5]
Conley cemented his role as a full-time starter for the Grizzlies in 2009. He posted a season high of 25 points on March 31, 2010, during a 102–106 loss to theDallas Mavericks.[6] He averaged 12.0 points and 5.3 assists on the season.[5]
On November 30, 2010, Conley put up a season-high 28 points in a 98–96 victory over theLos Angeles Lakers. He averaged 13.7 and 6.5 assists on the year to help the Grizzlies make the playoffs for the first time in five years. Entering with the eighth seed in the Western Conference, they defeated the top-seededSan Antonio Spurs in six games in the first round, making NBA history as only the second eighth-seeded team to defeat a first seed in a seven-game series. They then lost to theOklahoma City Thunder in seven games in the semifinals.
In the shortenedlockout season, Conley played 62 of the Grizzlies' 66 games, during which he averaged 12.7 points and 6.5 assists. The Grizzlies made the playoffs but fell in the first round to theLos Angeles Clippers in seven games.
That year, Conley averaged 14.6 points, 6.1 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game as the Grizzlies made the playoffs once again. They eliminated theLos Angeles Clippers and theOklahoma City Thunder to reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. They then lost to theSan Antonio Spurs in four games. Conley was named to theNBA All-Defensive Second Team for the first time.
Conley averaged a career-high 17.2 points, 6.0 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game on the year as the Grizzles made the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. They were eliminated in the first round by theOklahoma City Thunder in a seven-game series. Conley received theNBA Sportsmanship Award.[7]
On December 13, 2014, Conley scored a career-high 36 points to help the Grizzlies defeat thePhiladelphia 76ers, 120–115, in overtime.[8] The Grizzlies finished the season as the fifth seed in the Western Conference, making the playoffs once again. They defeated thePortland Trail Blazers in the first round in five games. Near the end of Game 3, Conley suffered a facial fracture, which forced him to miss the rest of the first round. He also missed Game 1 of the semifinals against theGolden State Warriors. Conley returned in Game 2 of the series and, while wearing a protective mask, scored 21 points to lead Memphis to a victory. Memphis eventually lost to the Warriors in six games.[9]
In 2014, Conley received what would have been the firsttechnical foul of his NBA career, but it was overturned by league officials the next day; as of May 2025 he has yet to record a technical in over 34,000 minutes played, having by far the longest streak without one of any NBA player.[10]
On October 31, 2015, Conley surpassedShareef Abdur-Rahim (7,801) for third on the Grizzlies' career scoring list. He scored 22 points against the Brooklyn Nets to finish the game with 7,821 career points.[11] On January 18, 2016, Conley returned to the lineup after missing six games with a sore left Achilles and recorded his third double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 assists, helping the Grizzlies defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 101–99. Earlier that day, he was named one of the 30 finalists for the 2016 U.S. Olympic team.[12] On March 12, he was ruled out for three to four weeks with a left foot injury.[13] He was later ruled out for the rest of the season on April 4 after a reevaluation by team doctors, and hoped to return for the playoffs.[14] The injury-riddled Grizzlies finished seventh in the Western Conference, and without Conley andMarc Gasol, were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. On April 23, Conley received the NBA Sportsmanship Award for the second time.[15]
On July 14, 2016, Conley re-signed with the Grizzlies.[16] His reported five-year, $153 million deal was the greatest contract by total value in NBA history at the time.[17] On November 16, 2016, he scored 30 points and hit a career-high-tying seven three-pointers in a 111–107 win over theLos Angeles Clippers.[18] On November 29, he was ruled out for six to eight weeks with a fractured vertebra.[19] He returned to action on December 16 after missing nine games. In the Grizzlies' 96–92 loss to theSacramento Kings, Conley passedPau Gasol to become the all-time leading scorer in Grizzlies history.[20] On January 30, 2017, he scored 38 points in a 115–98 win over thePhoenix Suns. Conley matched his career best with seven three-pointers (in 10 attempts) and made 12 of 18 shots overall in his fourth 30-point game of the season—he previously had five over his entire career.[21] On February 15 against New Orleans, Conley passedMike Miller for the most three-pointers in franchise history with 845.[22] On March 29, he matched his career-high with seven three-pointers on his way to 36 points, helping the Grizzlies rout theIndiana Pacers, 110–97.[23]
On April 22, 2017, Conley scored a franchise postseason record 35 points in a 110–108 overtime win over the Spurs. The win tied the first-round series at 2–2.[24]
Conley appeared in 12 of the Grizzlies' first 13 games of the 2017–18 season before suffering a left Achilles injury.[25] On January 27, 2018, he was ruled out for the rest of the season after requiring surgery to smooth a small bone protrusion in his left heel.[26]
In the Grizzlies' season opener on October 17, 2018, Conley made his first regular season appearance since November 2017 after missing 70 games. He played nearly 29 minutes, scored 11 points, and had three assists and one steal in a 111–83 loss to theIndiana Pacers.[27] On November 2, he scored a season-high 28 points in a 110–100 win over theUtah Jazz.[28] On November 10, he set a new season high with 32 points in a 112–106 overtime win over thePhiladelphia 76ers.[29] On November 30, Conley improved his season-high scoring to 37 points and also made 10 assists in a 131–125 double-overtime win over theBrooklyn Nets.[30] On March 5, 2019, he scored a career-high 40 points in a Grizzlies' 120–111 win over thePortland Trail Blazers. He was scoreless in the first quarter and scored 19 points in the fourth.[31] On March 11, he was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from March 4 to March 10. It marked his first career Player of the Week award.[32] On March 27, in a 118–103 loss to theGolden State Warriors, Conley passed Marc Gasol to become the Grizzlies' all-time leader in career points.[33]
On July 6, 2019, Conley was traded to theUtah Jazz in exchange forGrayson Allen,Jae Crowder,Kyle Korver, the draft rights toDarius Bazley, and a protected first-round pick.[34] He made his Jazz debut on October 23, recording five points and five assists in a 100–95 win over the Thunder.[35] On October 30, he scored a season-high 29 points, alongside five assists and two steals, in a 110–96 win over theLos Angeles Clippers.[36] In 2020, due to the suspension of the NBA season because of theCOVID-19 pandemic, the NBA produced a televised event in which NBA andWNBA players participated in a virtual H–O–R–S–E competition while quarantining at their respective homes. The NBA raised $200,000 for charities as Conley won the first virtualNBA H–O–R–S–E Competition, becoming the inaugural "H.O.R.S.E Champion".[37]
On August 21, 2020, during the first round of the playoffs, Conley recorded 27 points and a playoff career-high seven 3-pointers in a 124–87 Game 3 win over theDenver Nuggets.[38] He had missed the first two games of the series after being quarantined. Two days later, Conley logged 26 points, four assists and two steals in a 129–127 Game 4 win. Despite taking a 3–1 series lead, the Jazz lost in seven games to the Nuggets.[39] After the 2019–20 season, Conley declined to exercise the early termination option on his contract, and was owed $34.5 million in the fifth and final year of his contract in 2020–21.[40]
On January 1, 2021, Conley scored a season-high 33 points and added seven assists, two rebounds, and one steal in a 106–100 win over the Clippers.[41] He was named anAll-Star for the first time in his career as it was announced that he would be a reserve for the2021 NBA All-Star Game, replacing the injuredDevin Booker.[42] His 14-year wait is the longest ever for a first time All-Star.[43] He recorded three points, one rebound, and two assists in 12 minutes in the game.[44] Conley was also announced as Booker's replacement in theThree-Point Contest,[45] where he competed against teammateDonovan Mitchell. Conley lost in the final round toStephen Curry, 28–27.[46]
On May 29, during the first round of the playoffs, Conley scored 27 points and matched his playoff career-high of seven 3-pointers in a 121–111 Game 3 win over the Grizzlies.[47] He missed the first five games of the Jazz's second-round series versus theLos Angeles Clippers due to a strained right hamstring.[48] Conley returned to the lineup in Game 6, logging five points and three assists in a 119–131 loss that eliminated the Jazz from the playoffs.[49]
On August 6, 2021, Conley re-signed with the Jazz on a reported three-year, $68–72.5 million contract.[50][51] On November 2, he scored a season-high 30 points in a 119–113 win over theSacramento Kings.[52] The Jazz were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks, with Conley averaging only 9.2 points and 4.8 assists per game during the 2–4 series defeat.[53]
After the 2021–22 season, the Jazz retooled, trading away their franchise players, All-StarsDonovan Mitchell andRudy Gobert. Conley said he expected to be moved: "I was just like everybody else. I was waiting to get the phone call that I was going somewhere else."[54] But he stayed in Utah to start off the 2022–23 season. Conley made his season debut on October 19, recording 13 points, eight assists and two steals in a 123–102 win over the Nuggets.[55] Before being traded to Minnesota he averaged nearly 11 points per game.
On February 9, 2023, Conley was traded to theMinnesota Timberwolves in a three-team trade involving theLos Angeles Lakers, with the Jazz acquiringRussell Westbrook,Juan Toscano-Anderson, andDamian Jones, the Lakers acquiringJarred Vanderbilt,Malik Beasley, andD'Angelo Russell, and the Timberwolves acquiring Conley andNickeil Alexander-Walker; the trade reunited Conley with his former Grizzlies teammateKyle Anderson and Jazz teammateRudy Gobert.[56] He made his Timberwolves debut a day later, recording nine points, three assists and two steals in a 128–107 loss to the Grizzlies.[57] On February 23, 2024, he signed a contract extension through the 2025–26 season[58][59] and on May 1, he was again namedNBA Teammate of the Year.[60]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | Memphis | 53 | 46 | 26.1 | .428 | .330 | .732 | 2.6 | 4.2 | .8 | .0 | 9.4 |
| 2008–09 | Memphis | 82* | 61 | 30.6 | .442 | .406 | .817 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 1.1 | .1 | 10.9 |
| 2009–10 | Memphis | 80 | 80 | 32.1 | .445 | .387 | .743 | 2.4 | 5.3 | 1.4 | .2 | 12.0 |
| 2010–11 | Memphis | 81 | 81 | 35.5 | .444 | .369 | .733 | 3.0 | 6.5 | 1.8 | .2 | 13.7 |
| 2011–12 | Memphis | 62 | 61 | 35.1 | .433 | .377 | .861 | 2.5 | 6.5 | 2.2 | .2 | 12.7 |
| 2012–13 | Memphis | 80 | 80 | 34.5 | .440 | .362 | .830 | 2.8 | 6.1 | 2.2 | .3 | 14.6 |
| 2013–14 | Memphis | 73 | 73 | 33.5 | .450 | .361 | .815 | 2.9 | 6.0 | 1.5 | .2 | 17.2 |
| 2014–15 | Memphis | 70 | 70 | 31.8 | .446 | .386 | .859 | 3.0 | 5.4 | 1.3 | .2 | 15.8 |
| 2015–16 | Memphis | 56 | 56 | 31.4 | .422 | .363 | .834 | 2.9 | 6.1 | 1.2 | .3 | 15.3 |
| 2016–17 | Memphis | 69 | 68 | 33.2 | .459 | .407 | .859 | 3.5 | 6.3 | 1.3 | .3 | 20.5 |
| 2017–18 | Memphis | 12 | 12 | 31.1 | .381 | .312 | .803 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 1.0 | .3 | 17.1 |
| 2018–19 | Memphis | 70 | 70 | 33.5 | .438 | .364 | .845 | 3.4 | 6.4 | 1.3 | .3 | 21.1 |
| 2019–20 | Utah | 47 | 41 | 29.0 | .409 | .375 | .827 | 3.2 | 4.4 | .8 | .1 | 14.4 |
| 2020–21 | Utah | 51 | 51 | 29.4 | .444 | .412 | .852 | 3.5 | 6.0 | 1.4 | .2 | 16.2 |
| 2021–22 | Utah | 72 | 72 | 28.6 | .435 | .408 | .796 | 3.0 | 5.3 | 1.3 | .3 | 13.7 |
| 2022–23 | Utah | 43 | 42 | 29.7 | .408 | .362 | .813 | 2.5 | 7.7 | 1.0 | .2 | 10.7 |
| Minnesota | 24 | 24 | 31.4 | .460 | .420 | .863 | 3.1 | 5.0 | 1.2 | .2 | 14.0 | |
| 2023–24 | Minnesota | 76 | 76 | 28.9 | .457 | .442 | .911 | 2.9 | 5.9 | 1.2 | .2 | 11.4 |
| 2024–25 | Minnesota | 71 | 64 | 24.7 | .400 | .410 | .900 | 2.6 | 4.5 | 1.1 | .2 | 8.2 |
| Career | 1,172 | 1,128 | 31.2 | .438 | .389 | .825 | 2.9 | 5.7 | 1.4 | .2 | 14.1 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 0 | 12.3 | .167 | .200 | — | 1.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 3.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Memphis | 13 | 13 | 39.0 | .388 | .297 | .830 | 3.8 | 6.4 | 1.1 | .2 | 15.2 |
| 2012 | Memphis | 7 | 7 | 39.5 | .421 | .500 | .750 | 3.3 | 7.1 | .9 | .0 | 14.1 |
| 2013 | Memphis | 15 | 15 | 38.3 | .384 | .281 | .763 | 4.7 | 7.1 | 1.7 | .3 | 17.0 |
| 2014 | Memphis | 7 | 7 | 38.1 | .431 | .111 | .769 | 4.6 | 7.9 | 2.0 | .1 | 15.9 |
| 2015 | Memphis | 8 | 8 | 30.4 | .427 | .303 | .821 | 1.1 | 5.0 | 1.4 | .0 | 14.4 |
| 2017 | Memphis | 6 | 6 | 37.3 | .485 | .447 | .838 | 3.3 | 7.0 | 1.7 | .5 | 24.7 |
| 2020 | Utah | 5 | 5 | 33.0 | .484 | .529 | .864 | 2.8 | 5.2 | 1.6 | .5 | 19.8 |
| 2021 | Utah | 6 | 6 | 29.3 | .426 | .486 | 1.000 | 3.5 | 7.7 | .2 | .2 | 15.3 |
| 2022 | Utah | 6 | 6 | 29.0 | .333 | .200 | .800 | 3.2 | 4.8 | .8 | .3 | 9.2 |
| 2023 | Minnesota | 5 | 5 | 36.6 | .476 | .455 | .909 | 2.6 | 6.4 | .6 | .0 | 12.0 |
| 2024 | Minnesota | 15 | 15 | 31.6 | .428 | .395 | .714 | 3.9 | 5.7 | 1.4 | .2 | 11.6 |
| 2025 | Minnesota | 15 | 15 | 23.7 | .302 | .333 | .923 | 2.9 | 3.3 | .6 | .2 | 6.0 |
| Career | 108 | 108 | 33.5 | .409 | .360 | .807 | 3.5 | 6.0 | 1.2 | .2 | 13.8 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Ohio State | 39 | 39 | 31.6 | .518 | .304 | .694 | 3.4 | 6.1 | 2.2 | .3 | 11.3 |
| Career | 39 | 39 | 31.6 | .518 | .304 | .694 | 3.4 | 6.1 | 2.2 | .3 | 11.3 | |
Conley is aChristian and has spoken about his faith, saying, "Jesus means the world. Jesus means everything."[61]
Conley's father isMike Conley Sr., anOlympic gold and silver medalist in thetriple jump. He is also the nephew of formerAmerican football linebackerSteve Conley.
On July 5, 2014, Conley married Mary Peluso, whom he met at Ohio State.[62] They have three sons.[citation needed]
On September 18, 2024, while Conley was in Minneapolis for aMinnesota Vikings home game, his home was targeted by burglars.[63]
Conley andTrey Alexander are cousins.[64]
Grizzlies: Conley's 3-pointer with 2:50 left in the second quarter moved him to first place on the franchise scoring list, passing former teammate Marc Gasol.
· Basketball Reference