Tony Allen Agrees to $20 Million Extension With Memphis Grizzlies

The GrindFather will be staying in Memphis — the Grizzlies have reached a four-year, $20 million agreement with free agent Tony Allen. (Jon Leuer will also return at a cost of $3 million over three seasons.) Per the AP: “Allen is one of the league’s best perimeter defenders and a key to the Grizzlies’ run to the Western Conference finals last season. He drew interest from other teams but decided to stick with a Memphis team coming off the best season in franchise history. ‘Memphis stand up!!!!’ Allen wrote on his Twitter page. ‘Thank you Lord for all that you’ve done and all that (you’re) doing in my life. I am so grateful and humbled.’ Allen also thanked the Milwaukee Bucks and new coach Larry Drew for their interest in him. […] Allen was the leading vote-getter for the All-Defensive team and finished fifth in voting for the Defensive Player of the Year, an award won by Grizzlies teammate Marc Gasol. The 6-foot-4 Allen won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008 before coming to Memphis. Relied on mostly for his defense, he also averaged 8.9 points this season and followed the Rudy Gay trade by making 55.7 percent of his shots in February, tops among all guards.”