Tony Wroten to Grizzlies: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

The Memphis Grizzlies bolstered their backcourt depth Sunday by claiming guard Tony Wroten off of waivers.

Ian Begley of ESPN.com reported the news on Wroten, whom the New York Knicks released this past Wednesday.  

Injuries ravaged the Grizzlies down the stretch of last season, and they had no proven lead guards to turn to. With longtime floor general Mike Conley hitting free agency this summer, Wroten is a sound insurance option for the time being.

Wroten has at least flashed potential, and Memphis was the team that selected him 25th overall in the 2012 NBA draft.

Although the Grizzlies traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers after only one season, there's a familiarity factor between Wroten and the organization. Memphis evidently saw something in him when it drafted him.

Chris Herrington of the Memphis Commercial Appeal provided some interesting context regarding Wroten's history with the Grizzlies' front office:

Wroten, 23, played 30 games for the Sixers during the 2014-15 campaign and averaged 16.9 points and 5.2 assists per contest in that span. Unfortunately, he suffered a partially torn ACL that required surgery in January 2015, which derailed his promising run.

New York let Wroten go after signing him in March, but Memphis may well be getting a bargain by bringing him aboard again.

If he can regain his pre-injury form, Wroten could compete for a heavily featured spot in the Grizzlies' rotation in 2016-17. But first, he's likely to partake in summer-league action, where he can show his skills and prove he's worth a roster spot.

Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace would do well to prioritize upgrading the backcourt no matter what happens with Conley on the open market. Wallace has done just that of late, drafting former Vanderbilt guard Wade Baldwin IV in the first round of Thursday's draft—and now by acquiring Wroten.

If Memphis is meant to ascend the Western Conference standings, it must retain Conley and continue injecting its perimeter rotation with youth and superior talent.