Mario Chalmers, Grizzlies Agree to 1-Year Contract

The Memphis Grizzlies announced the signing of free-agent guard Mario Chalmers on Wednesday. 

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN first reported the news on Tuesday, adding it's a one-year deal. Chalmers posted the following on Instagram on Tuesday:

Chalmers, 30, spent most of 2015-16 in Memphis after being traded from the Miami Heat. He averaged 10.8 points and 3.8 assists per game with the Grizzlies, working as Mike Conley's primary backup.

Amid a rash of injuries across the roster, Memphis released Chalmers following his Achilles injury to free up a roster spot.

"Mario did an incredible job for us since coming to Memphis," Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement in March 2016. "Right from the start, he embraced his change of scenery and endeared himself to his teammates and coaches on the court and the Memphis community off of it."

Chalmers sat out the entire 2016-17 season.

Achilles injuries are notoriously tricky to recover from. Since Kobe Bryant's season-ending injury in 2013, there has been an increasing amount of studies done showing players typically come back far worse and struggle to regain their previous form. Bryant never fully recovered, with the Achilles being merely the first in a series of injuries that marred his final few seasons.

Brandon Jennings, Wesley Matthews and Anderson Varejao are among the other players who recently struggled after returning from Achilles injuries.

Chalmers has never relied on his athleticism, but his margin for error is thinner than some players. At his peak, he is an above-average backup point guard who can knock down threes and play solid defense. He's also prone to bad lapses in judgment and spent a lot of his time in Miami being yelled at by his more famous teammates.

When you take away 10 percent of Chalmers' athleticism, he becomes an average (or below-average) defender and thus a less effective player. That's the inherent risk here.

In Memphis, however, Chalmers will be a depth player and deep rotational option. Given that and the fact he's reportedly being signed to a one-year deal, there's little risk for the Grizzlies.