A memory system for a network device is described. The memory system includes a packing data buffer including a plurality of memory banks arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. The packing data buffer is configured to store incoming data elements of a plurality of widths in the plurality of memory banks. The memory system also includes a free address manager configured to generate an available bank set based on one or more free memory banks in the plurality of memory banks. And, the memory system includes distributed link memory configured to maintain one or more pointers to interconnect a set of one or more memory locations of the one or more memory banks in the packing data buffer to generate at least one list.