Xavier Henry And Grizzlies Still Working On Contract

The Grizzlies and former SLAM HS diarist Xavier Henry have yet to agree to terms on a rookie contract. The AP reports: “The first-round pick still hasn’t signed his contract, with the Grizzlies not willing to guarantee the maximum salary allowable under the rookie scale. Teams can pay players up to 120 percent of their scale amount, which this season is about $1.7 million for the No. 12 pick. However, the Grizzlies would like to tie the extra 20 percent to bonuses. So the swingman from Kansas remains unsigned, saying Tuesday he is working out, but otherwise just waiting for a call and isn’t sure what will happen. ‘I’m letting my agent take care of the contract situation so I’m just sitting here waiting for the word,’ Henry said at the New York Knicks’ training facility, where he was photographed for his Panini trading card. ‘I talk to my agent all the time, he just calls and checks up on me, sees how I’m doing, and just says ‘we’re still working on it, we’re sending them letters, they’re talking to us, but nothing happening yet.’ So I’m not sure what’s going to happen.’ The agent, Arn Tellem, said the Grizzlies are trying to make Henry meet performance bonuses, such as making the rookie challenge at All-Star weekend or being named to one of the all-rookie teams. He says only one player out of more than 450 since the rookie salary scale was instituted in 1995 has agreed to a performance bonus.”