Trade Rumors: Time for OJ Mayo to Move On

Matt Rose explains why it may be best for Memphis to do away with OJ Mayo.

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

OJ Mayo is an explosive player in every sense of the word. At his best, Mayo is a crafty scorer and pesky defender. At his worst, Mayo is a self-centered, problematic “teammate". Throughout the course of last season and into this offseason, rumors have swirled that Mayo had worn out his welcome in Memphis and is on the way out. With the lockout ending, these rumors very well may come true sooner rather than later.

The Lakers, Bulls, and Knicks are all looking to upgrade on the perimeter, but Mayo may not fit in as well as they would hope. The Lakers already have three players who command shots in Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum. The Knicks have a similar situation with Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and Chauncy Billups (soon to be Chris Paul?). While Mayo is a talented defender, he will likely be vocally unhappy about taking a backseat role, similar to the way he has in Memphis behind Rudy Gay, Zach Zandolph, and Marc Gasol. Of the three teams in need of a guard, the Bulls are the best fit. Mayo would likely be the third option on offense, behind Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer, allowing him to showcase his skills on both ends of the court.

Ultimately, the Grizz are best served shopping Mayo for a draft pick and a young player with upside, such as Taj Gibson or Landry Fields. A healthy Rudy Gay will eat into the limited minutes Mayo received last year, and they do not necessarily need his scoring or defensive prowess off the bench. Tony Allen, Sam Young, and Darrell Arthur provided similarly scoring output to Mayo in fewer minutes, and Allen is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the NBA.

OJ Mayo is a young talent poised for a resurgence next season; however, he will only be able to do so in the right setting. If he stays with Memphis, he will not receive the focus on offense nor be the teammate he needs to be to find his niche in the league.