At first glance, it appears to be an odd pairing. Allen Iverson, a future Hall of Famer near the end of his career, joining the Memphis Grizzlies, a team that doesn't have a single All-Star or any chance of winning a title.

Iverson, who became an overwhelming failure in Detroit, immediately be the most accomplished, and oldest, player in Memphis. Iverson, 34, joins a team with an average age of younger than 24-years-old.

It's hard to consider the guard a fatherly figure, or even an 'Uncle Allen' type, but a majority of the Grizzlies' backcourt was only midway through grammar school when the 76ers took Iverson with the first overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft.

Free agency wasn't what Iverson expected, magnified by the relative cheapness of clubs this summer and the stain placed on his reputation following his rocky tenure with the Pistons.

Memphis considered giving Iverson a deal worth $5 million earlier in the offseason, but as time went by and there were no competing offers, they reduced their offer. They'll pay him no less than $3.5 million, according to sources. The value of his deal could increase to $4.4 million if the Grizzlies renounce their rights to guard Juan Carlos Navarro.

It's highly unlikely that Iverson, and agent Leon Rose, expected to bank a deal worth less than the mid-level exception, but a series of events led to the guard's predicament. With that said, there's no way he was going to get a deal within the same stratosphere as the $21 million he made last season.

There were a lot of teams "linked" to Iverson this offseason, but it's hard to tell exactly how many seriously considered pulling him from the unemployment line. The Grizzlies, Heat, Bobcats, Clippers and Knicks were mentioned in the same sentence as Iverson most often.

Heat president Pat Riley didn't mention Iverson's name Tuesday when discussing the team's offseason.

In my estimation, New York, Charlotte and Miami could have used Iverson more than Memphis, but I'm not nearly as opposed to the deal as many of my peers.

The Grizzlies have a talented, young stable of guards -- led by O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley. They added Marcus Williams this summer and also have journeyman Marko Jaric, who is probably less valuable to most NBA teams than his model wife.

The main point of contention has been the detrimental effect Iverson's presence will potentially have on the development of Conley and Mayo, both of whom will turn 22 this fall. However, it's an overblown issue.

Memphis doesn't want to run Mayo, who played 38 minutes per game in his rookie season, into the ground. In addition, Conley is coming along slower than many anticipated and Williams has been an utter disappointment at each one of his stops.

The Grizzlies dealt Kyle Lowry to the Rockets prior to last season's trade deadline, and adding Iverson will take away some of the additional pressure that was placed on Conley in the second half of the season.

Iverson has never been a true point guard, but his passing skills and court vision are usually underrated. It would be wrong to classify Iverson as a shooter -- he's unquestionably a volume scorer -- but he's the type of player that will find a way to put points on the board well into his late 30s.

His scoring average has decreased in each of the last three seasons, but he still gets to the foul line with relative ease. Even with a reduced role in Detroit, he averaged 17.4 points in 50 games. Transfer those numbers over to the 2008-09 edition of the Grizzlies, and Iverson would have been the team's third leading scorer just behind Rudy Gay (18.9) and Mayo (18.5)

Assuming he's been humbled by free agency and the lack of front-line attention that he received, he'll be driven this season. Combine that with the fact that he conserved energy with all the turmoil in Detroit, and Memphis could get great value out of A.I.

If Lionel Hollins relies largely on a three-guard rotation consisting of Conley, Mayo and Iverson, there isn't any reason why each couldn't see at least 25 to 30 minutes of action a night with Williams and Jaric mopping up the remaining crumbs.

That type of distribution would let Conley and Mayo grow, while also allowing Iverson to get his fair share of court time. I'm preparing for a lot of criticism here, but I could see Iverson battling Zach Randolph to lead the Grizzlies in scoring. Maybe it's the reemergence of the cornrows.

There is only one risk here for Memphis. Iverson could become unhappy with his role, or all the losses that the team endures (unless he's more bubbles off than we thought, he has to know that the Grizzlies are headed for the lottery) and pack it in. As I said earlier, I highly doubt he'll turn Mayo, Gay and Conley into degenerates. He didn't have that type of effect on Rodney Stuckey and others in Detroit.

He has never made his teammates better, but could get along decently with the Grizzlies' young guns. Many label him as immature, which essentially puts him in the same age group as his new teammates. He'll also play with a host of fellow Big East alum in Gay, Williams, Hasheem Thabeet and Sam Young.

Worst case; he goes AWOL but the Grizzlies still see an increase in ticket sales because of the former MVP's mere presence. Memphis was second-to-last in average attendance last season, ahead of only Sacramento.

Grade For Memphis: A-

Iverson doesn't get the money he coveted, but the situation is close to ideal. There are no championship aspirations, let alone the expectation of even making the playoffs. He isn't playing in a high-profile city (ahem, New York or L.A.) and Memphis will likely welcome him simply because he choose to play for their team. He's easily the most high-profile acquisition in the history of the franchise.

Barring another move by the Grizzlies, he shouldn't have any problem getting enough time to score close to 20 points. The 23,983 career points he brings with him just might be more than the Grizzlies have scored as a team since they moved from Vancouver.

Grade For Iverson: B+


Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com and co-host of RealGM's Radio Show. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com. You can also follow Andrew on Twitter: APerna7.