O.J. Mayo announced that he will be signing with the Dallas Mavericks on Twitter. Mayo averaged 12.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game last season with the Grizzlies.

O.J. Mayo was almost traded to the Indiana Pacers before the trade deadline. He was struggling off the bench after starting the past two seasons. With the injury to Rudy Gay, Mayo provided much needed scoring and helped the Grizzlies upset the number one seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Mayo matched up with NBA All-Second team member Russell Westbrook, and had some productive games, in the Western Conference semifinals, where the Grizzlies ended up losing in 7 games. Mayo is due $6 million next season but the Grizzlies have already shown once that they would have traded him and they will surely be looking to save money in order to sign center Marc Gasol. If Mayo is traded, what team would you like to see him play for?

“I’ve been thinking about how we can balance our line-up,” Hollins said. “Everybody talks about how bad the bench is. We were not getting anybody on the bench that was a true, pure scorer so I have always been trying to figure out what is best to do. O.J. is a good shooter and he does have a scoring mentality. When you put him with the second unit maybe they’ll develop an identity.”

It’s been a rocky year for shooting guard O.J. Mayo. First, he was demoted to the bench to help gives the Grizzlies some fire power off the bench but he has proved to be inconsistent and is having the worst year of his career. He then got into a fight on the team plane with Tony Allen over a gambling debt. Now comes word that the NBA has suspended Mayo 10 games without pay for violating the league and union’s anti-drug program. Mayo tested positive for the steroid dedehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), the same steroid that Rashard Lewis was suspended for in 2009. Mayo released a statement through the team:

“I’m extremely disappointed that I’m going to miss the next 10 games, particularly as our team is making a push for the playoffs. I had no idea that the over-the-counter supplement that I took was a substance banned by the NBA. It was an honest mistake, but I take full responsibility for my actions. I apologize to my fans, teammates and the Grizzlies organization for regrettably not doing the necessary research about what supplements I can put in my body.”

Despite playing well and scoring 18 points during the televised Team USA game last week, Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo did not make the final roster of players headed to Turkey for the World Championships, which go from August 28th to September 12th. Also cut were Sacramento guard Tyreke Evans, Charlotte forward Gerald Wallace, and Washington center JaVale McGee.

Make sure you set those DVR’s to watch O.J. Mayo at point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies summer league team in Las Vegas from July 12-18. The games will be on NBATV

The Grizzlies play on July 12 against the Atlanta Hawks and followed by games vs. the Milwaukee Bucks on July 13, the NBA D-League Select on July 15, the Minnesota Timberwolves on July 16 and the San Antonio Spurs on July 18.

Besides Mayo, the roster includes Xavier Henry, Greivis Vasquez, Hasheem Thabeet, Darrell Arthur, DeMarre Carroll and Sam Young.

Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley isn’t happy about reports that the Grizzlies offered starting shooting guard O.J. Mayo in a package deal for New Orleans Hornets all-star point guard Chris Paul. Heisley was quoted saying:

“Unequivocally, O.J. Mayo was not part of any discussions about a trade for Chris Paul. That is not true. Where do these people get this stuff?”

Heisley did admit that he inquired about Paul’s availability but that Mayo was not part of the package discussed.

Mayo doesn’t seem like he will be in Memphis long. Would he consider going to the new Anaheim Royals franchise?

The Memphis Grizzlies are looking to develop O.J. Mayo as a point guard in order to improve their versatility next season. Mayo would also help on the defensive end against the bigger, stronger point guards in the league like Deron Williams, Derick Rose, and Chauncey Billups. The biggest aspects of Mayo’s game that would have to be improved is passing and decision making. If Mayo does not make the US national team this summer, there is a good chance he will be on the Grizzles summer league roster playing the point guard role.

Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo was selected to participate in the 2010 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge in Dallas on Feb. 12 during NBA All-Star Weekend. Mayo will join rookie of the year Derrick Rose and teammate Marc Gasol to play for the Sophomore team taking on a rookie team led by Tyreke Evans and Brandon Jennings.

Nice article from the Memphis Commercial Appeal on how O.J. Mayo has changed his game to be more of a team player and help his team win.

As a rookie, Mayo operated mostly as a gunner without much team success. As a sophomore, the 6-4 guard has crossed over into a glue guy who gladly holds back his individual talent to satisfy the Grizzlies’ mantra: One Team.