Jeff Green Exercises Player Option with Grizzlies: Latest Details and Reaction

Although Jeff Green's short time with the Memphis Grizzlies has been somewhat underwhelming, the 28-year-old forward decided to sign on for another season Thursday. Green reportedly exercised the player option on his contract for the 2015-16 season, per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

The news doesn't come as a huge shock. Back in May, ESPN.com's Marc Stein posited that Green would likely return to Memphis:

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The working expectation on Beale Street at the minute is that Green will decide to exercise his $9.2 million player option for next season after falling well short of the dream of being the final piece of the puzzle that Memphis had when it acquired him from Boston in January.

Would he really dare to head into free agency after the Grizz so badly needed him to step into the void created in the starting lineup by Allen's injuries (and struggles once Andrew Bogut started guarding him) and Green didn't deliver?

Seems unlikely.

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The decision was likely a matter of dollars. According to Spotrac, Green is in line to earn $9.2 million next year. Maybe he could fetch more on the open market, but there's little reason to take that chance when he could lock it in this offseason.

Green firmly falls into the class of NBA stars who tantalize you with their potential but are often plagued by bouts of inconsistency.

Most NBA fans still remember Green's performance on March 18, 2013, against the Miami Heat. He scored 43 points, grabbed seven rebounds, blocked four shots and recorded two steals. He also went 5-of-7 from long range.

That game represents what Green can do at the peak of his powers. For those who have followed him his entire career, nights like that also don't come often enough. Over his seven years in the league, Green is averaging 14.3 points on 43.9 percent shooting and five rebounds per night.

The Grizzlies gambled on Green back in January, and the results were somewhat mixed. In 45 games with the team, he averaged 13.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per night. According to NBA.com, the Grizzlies' offensive rating improved by 0.6 points when he was on the court, but their defensive rating decreased by 10.4 points.

Danny Moloshok/Associated Press

The Memphis Flyer's Kevin Lipe summed up Green's time in the NBA best in his recap of Memphis' Game 5 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 2015 conference semifinals: "Jeff Green hasn’t panned out as hoped because Jeff Green is Jeff Green and not What People Wish Jeff Green Were."

At the end of the day, Green failed to provide the three-point shooting Memphis desperately needed. His 1.3 made three-pointers per-36 minutes was fifth on the team, per Basketball-Reference.com.

At this point, it's too late in Green's career for him to all of a sudden improve overnight and become the best version of himself. He's still a versatile combo forward, but he's not going to become the all-encompassing star who goes to multiple All-Star Games and is the leader on an NBA title contender.

Still, he can fill a serious void for the Grizzlies next year with his scoring, especially if Marc Gasol leaves. Memphis doesn't have a wealth of offensive playmakers, so losing Green would've cause a few problems for the squad going forward.