Memphis Grizzlies guard Mario Chalmers lays on the court as he has is right leg examined during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics in Boston, Wednesday, March 9, 2016. Chalmers left the game after the injury. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

By Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal

Mario Chalmers arrived from Miami via trade in November.

He terrorized opponents on both ends of the court for more than four months in a Memphis uniform. The veteran point guard then ruptured his right Achilles on Wednesday night.

And the Grizzlies essentially tore up his contract.

Chalmers will be paid for the rest of this season, but the Griz waived him Thursday after confirming his season-ending injury. The 29-year-old was injured in the second half of a road loss to the Boston Celtics.

Magnetic resonance imaging tests validated the injury. Chalmers will undergo surgery and faces several months of rehabilitation. The decision to cut Chalmers allowed the Griz to reduce their roster size to 14 players and allows them to sign another player immediately.

With starting point guard Mike Conley out indefinitely with a sore Achilles, the Griz are without a point guard. They will pursue defensive-minded point guard Briante Weber of the NBA Development League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce so he can be in uniform Friday night when the Griz host the New Orleans Pelicans.

For Chalmers, a free agent after this season, it’s a bitter end to a season in which he performed as a perfect fit with the Grizzlies’ grit-and-grind mantra.

“Mario did an incredible job for us since coming to Memphis,” Griz general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement on the team’s website. “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.

“He has been an important part of our success this season, both coming off the bench and when called upon as a starter. But with Mario’s season-ending injury and our already depleted roster, it became necessary to free up a roster spot.”

Chalmers left Boston’s TD Garden in a wheelchair with his right foot elevated in a boot. Chalmers also held a pair of crutches in one hand. The other hand covered his face. Boston and Memphis broadcast crew members said they could clearly tell that Chalmers said “I heard it pop” after the injury midway through the third quarter.

The Griz will have at least eight healthy players Friday. Zach Randolph (sore knee) remains questionable, but his return would give the Griz nine.

Memphis has petitioned the NBA for an injury exception that would allow it to sign a 16th player in the wake of injuries to Conley and Chris Andersen (shoulder). For the exception, teams must have four players unable to play due to injury at the same time. Players have to miss three consecutive games and also be ruled out for at least 10 days beyond their three-game absence.

The Griz couldn’t have added a player before Saturday if they had not waived Chalmers, who was acquired from Miami for Beno Udrih last fall. Chalmers averaged 10.8 points on 41.7-percent shooting to go with 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 55 games with the Griz this season.

BasketballProspectus.com tracked 14 players since 1992 who sustained the Achilles injury and returned to play in the NBA. Their average time on court was reduced by more than 25 percent.