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It's not as bad as the Pau Gasol trade, but the deal the Memphis Grizzlies were saved from making because they missed the 3:00 pm trade deadline on Thursday was another doozy.
This one involved shooting guard O.J. Mayo, the team's first round pick in 2008, and third overall pick, who was intended to be dealt to Indiana for a first-round draft pick and Josh McRoberts.
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The trade was basically a done deal, but the Grizzlies and Pacers didn't get it in by the deadline.
Mayo's numbers are down this season, but that is mainly due to a logjam at the shooting guard and small forward positions, causing the former USC star to see less minutes.
In his first two seasons, Mayo played in every single game, and started in all but one. He shot a solid shooting percentage from the field, and an excellent percentage from the free throw line.
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Along with Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph, Mayo was a key scorer and played respectable defense. The trio, along with some other quality parts like Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, made the Grizzlies look like an up-and-coming team in the West.
But things changed for Mayo in the 2010-2011 season.
With the additions of guards Sam Young, 2010 first-round draft pick Xavier Henry, and veteran Tony Allen, Mayo's minutes began to decline.
In late November, Mayo was sent to the bench after averaging 17.5 point per game and shooting nearly 46 percent from the field last season. His minutes dropped from an average of 38 minutes a night for the past two seasons, to about 28 minutes a night this season.
Coach Lionel Hollins said the move was not a slight on Mayo. Instead, Hollins wanted to strengthen bench scoring while adding Henry to the starting lineup to improve the defense.
Then things started to really unravel for Mayo.
In late December, his father was charged with attempted murder of a police officer. Then in January, he and Tony Allen were involved in a card game that escalated into a fight on a team flight. Weeks later, Mayo was suspended for 10 games for testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which he blamed on a sports drink he bought at a gas station.
In Mayo's absence, the Grizzlies went 8-2, albeit against weak competition.
Overall, it didn't look good for Mayo in Memphis. The team seemed better off without him, and he began to look expendable. A trade seemed almost inevitable.
