Memphis Grizzlies: 15 players who defined Grit and Grind

It was a weird NBA career for O.J. Mayo and sadly, it might be over. He may only be 30 years old, but has been over two years since he last played in the league. Having served his two-year suspension for drug policy violations, Mayo could technically re-sign with an NBA team for 2018-19. He remains a free agent.

Mayo originally went one-and-done with the USC Trojans in 2007-08. Seen as one of the best NBA prospects in his high school recruiting class, Mayo went No. 3 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2008 NBA Draft. However, his draft rights were traded for Memphis’ No. 5 overall pick in power forward Kevin Love in a blockbuster draft-day deal. Not the best move for the Grizzlies in hindsight.

Mayo spent his first four professional seasons with the Grizzlies. He was an All-Rookie First Team member in 2008-09 when he averaged 18.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Mayo played in and started all 82 regular season games for the Grizzlies, averaging 38.0 minutes per contest.

He shot 43.8 percent from the field, 38.4 percent from distance and 87.9 percent from the charity stripe during that impressive rookie season. It seemed that the Grizzlies had found a reliable shooting guard they could build around in a young Mayo. However, that would prove to be his best season both with the Grizzlies and in the NBA.

Mayo may have averaged 17.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assist per game during his second season in the league, playing in and starting all 82 games. However, his personality and off-the-court issues began rearing their ugly head.

He got into a fight with fellow Grizzlies wing Tony Allen over a card game, would often be late to shoot-around and tested positive for a banned substance in 2011. Mayo’s role would change with the arrival of Allen out on the wing. Though he played in all 66 games in the shortened 2011-12 NBA season, Mayo was only a reserve player for the Grizzlies.

While he could have carved out a sixth man role, and been very good at it, Mayo became more of a headache than a good thing in Memphis. The Grizzlies wouldn’t match his offer sheet in his unrestricted free agency, as Mayo signed with the Dallas Mavericks in summer 2012. After two years with the Mavericks, they declined to match his offer sheet, leading him to sign a multi-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Overall, the talent was absolutely there with Mayo. However, his friction with the Grizzlies ultimately gave way to Allen usurping him on the Memphis depth chart. Mayo wasn’t exactly “Grit and Grind”, but his departure from the team definitely allowed the Grizzlies to really tap into that iconic, blue-collar identity that Memphis loves so much.