The OJ Mayo Situation

OJ Mayo has been linked to the Celtics for years, and as the Celtics build depth in the frontcourt, it is important for the C’s to add a capable high scoring guard to the roster that could come off the bench or start in the event of an injury. Mayo fits that description as a combo guard, a 6-4  guard with solid handle and the ability to run the offense for stretches when Rondo is on the bench.

Memphis appears ready to part with Mayo, as they have been shopping Mayo for at the last two trade deadlines, with 2 trades falling through at the last minute in consecutive seasons (Josh McRoberts, Indiana 2011 and Ray Allen, Boston 2012). In a surprising move today, The Grizz anounced qualifying offers for Darrell Arthur and Marresse Speights, but did not offer one to Mayo, making him an Unrestricted Free Agent all of a sudden.
   
Pro's and Cons after the jump.

• Mayo is a young player with significant upside. He has long been projected a star player and has played alpha dog in college and fared reasonably well.
•  At 6’4, he can guard multiple positions and handle the ball as well. He seems like an ideal player to throw into the Guard rotation with Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley.
•  Gives Ainge the scoring and ball handling on the second unit that he has been searching for. He can also start next to either Rondo or Bradley in the event of an injury, or take some of the minutes load off of Avery as he begins the season coming of double shoulder surgery.

• Has a tendency to play a lot of one on one, stand around basketball. In combination, he can settle for the jumper a little too much which has lead to a 41% FG Percentage the last two seasons. After starting his career with seasons of 44 and 46 Percent, his offense has been relatively inconsistent the last couple of years. 
•  OJ reportedly has a little apprehension about moving to Boston. Comcast Sports Net Analyst Donny Marshall reported that Mayo said “It does not interest me to be a Boston Celtic”. When told to think of the banners and history, apparently OJ made it clear that banners in the past would not sway his opinion. 
• He also has a few character concerns after a off-court gambling incident on the team plane. Adding him into a cohesive Celtics locker room could shake up what was a very cohesive Celtics Locker Room.