After talks surrounding O.J. Mayo and Anthony Morrow appeared dead on arrival, only leaking to the press once the deal had lost traction, the Nets are now offering Jordan Farmar and a draft pick to the Grizzlies for Mayo, according to a source communicating with the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
It’s not clear what draft pick the Nets are offering, though they have three first-round draft picks in the next two seasons (their own and Houston’s, lottery-protected), as well as the Miami Heat’s second-round draft pick this season.
Mayo makes $5.6 million in this season, the final of his contract, and is eligible for a qualifying offer of $7.4 million in 2012-13.
Mayo has had a history of on- and off-court issues in Memphis, including a ten-game suspension after testing positive for a banned substance he claims he ingested accidentally, and has been thrown in and out of the rotation in his four years. His scoring average has dropped each year in the league, from 18.5 per game his rookie season to 11.3 last season. He’s averaging 10.9 points per game through ten games thus far.
The Timberwolves drafted Mayo third overall in the 2008 draft — seven spots ahead of Brook Lopez — before immediately trading him to the Grizzlies for Kevin Love. Mayo was widely heralded coming out of high school; Scouts.com ranked him #1 in the senior class of 2007, ahead of players like Love, Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon, and Michael Beasley, but Mayo hasn’t capitalized on his talent in the NBA.
