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O.J. Mayo trade rumors are starting to evolve as Memphis moves in a new direction. These O.J. Mayo trade rumors suddenly involve the Denver Nuggets and Carmelo Anthony as well, as one
of the ideas being floated right now is that they could all work into a three-team deal as the trade deadline gets closer.
According to ESPN's Chad Ford, "Michael Heisley came into the season pretty sure he had a playoff contender on his hands. He just extended (Rudy) Gay and (Mike) Conley and he can't afford to let (Marc) Gasol go. And Xavier Henry's played well for them. I think (O.J.) Mayo and (Zach) Randolph have a better than 50 percent chance of being moved by February." This is pretty telling, because it means that Memphis is not happy with the roster they have right now.
So far in the 2010 NBA season, the Memphis Grizzlies have a record of 9-14, escaping last place in Southwest division by winning their last game. This is not how the season was supposed to go for Memphis, as many people had thought this could be a playoff team. Instead, the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks are running away with the division, and 23 games into the year, Memphis is already 10 1/2 games out of first place.
The team is suffering from a mixture of problems, and nothing seems to be working well for them. The current roster has an awful lot of offense to spare, and that could serve them well if they are able to work out a trade deal in the next couple of months. As we approach the midway point of December though, time is running out to right this ship. It could require that they make a move in desperation, and could be looking to unload salaries very soon.
If a trade is in the works, Randolph could be the biggest asset, as he is in the final year of his contract. He is making $17.3 million in the 2010-11 NBA season, meaning that he could be swapped with someone making a lot of money on another team. Then there is O.J. Mayo, who is a young asset that has two more years after this one left on his deal, but who could be a starting shooting guard for another team. Maybe the New York Knicks would be interested in acquiring Mayo in a blockbuster deal.
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The most interesting link to Memphis and O.J. Mayo is that of the Denver Nuggets, who have not come close to convincing Carmelo Anthony to sign an extension with them. It gives the Nuggets until mid-February (the trade
deadline) to get something done, and Memphis has the players to make a deal work better. If they toss in a draft pick, and the New York Knicks come calling in the trade room, we could actually see a huge deal come into focus that ends with Mayo and Anthony in New York.
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