Conley: I want to play at least one more season.

Mike Conley made it clear on Saturday that he is not currently considering retirement.

Mike Conley, 38, is a 6'6" (1.85m) and 79kg (3.5kg) point guard who entered the NBA in 2007 as the fourth overall pick in the first round. During his career, he played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, and Minnesota Timberwolves, appearing in 1226 regular season games. He averaged 13.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.3 steals in 30.7 minutes per game, with a 43.6% field goal percentage and a 38.7% three-point percentage.

The 2025/26 season has been anything but smooth for Conley. In February, he was first traded from the Timberwolves to the Chicago Bulls, and then to the Charlotte Hornets. After being waived by the Hornets, Conley returned to the Timberwolves as a free agent, but faced the awkward situation of falling out of the rotation.

According to ESPN statistics, Conley played 54 games for the Timberwolves in the regular season, averaging 4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 18.4 minutes per game. He also contributed 4.4 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game in the playoffs, helping the Timberwolves reach the Western Conference semifinals. However, the Timberwolves lost to the San Antonio Spurs 109-139 yesterday, being eliminated 2-4 in the series.

On May 16th local time, Conley attended the Timberwolves' season-ending press conference. Reflecting on the 2025/26 season, he frankly told reporters, "This year has indeed been a challenging one because the rhythm has been somewhat disrupted. I wasn't immediately placed in the starting lineup after the preseason, and I only found out a few days before the regular season started. My role changed accordingly, and I needed to adapt to the new position immediately."

"As the season progressed, all sorts of changes came up. After being traded in February, I didn't even know where I was headed. Although I eventually returned to the Timberwolves, I didn't get a chance to play at all. It was all really hard to process, and I could only try to find a way out."

“You never know when an opportunity will come. I can only try to stay in shape and be ready at any time. The coach has always believed that I can play a role at different stages of the season, and I went along with his plan to some extent during the playoffs. Towards the end of the season, I did show my best side.”

All signs indicate that Conley's contract with the Timberwolves will expire this summer. He stated, "It feels like it's been a long time since I've been a free agent. I'm deeply reflecting on what's most important. Family always comes first, including my children and wife, and their expectations for the future."

“One of my sons said to me this morning, ‘Great, you don’t have to play today.’ He made it sound like I’ve already retired. I thought to myself, I really don’t want to shatter his illusion. I want to play for at least another season.”

“That’s why I’ve thought a lot about them and our current situation. Minnesota has always been our home and a great place to be. I love my teammates, the management, Tim (Timberwolves president Connelly), the coaches, and everyone here. Hopefully, we can all get what we want by the end of this summer.”

"I do feel like I can play for a while longer. As for what the future holds, nobody can say for sure."

Image source: Internet