NBA Rumors: Memphis Grizzlies Must Figure out Long-Term Plan for O.J. Mayo

The Memphis Grizzlies must stop waffling on the future of O.J. Mayo. They need to pay the man his money and realize how perfect he is for their team.

He is a great sixth-man with plenty of potential to be a starter in this league, but the team is more than likely not going to extend his contract.

So why would the Grizzlies even be remotely hesitant to re-sign a player that fits so well?

General manager Chris Wallace spoke with Ronald Tillery at The Memphis Commercial Appeal on the topic and gave quite a cryptic response.

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"It remains to be seen whether something happens or not," Wallace said. "If it doesn't happen I wouldn't read much into it. We didn't extend Rudy and resigned him. It's a floating situation. I wouldn't say (Mayo) is a lock to be with us after this year and I wouldn't say he isn't. There's so much ground to be covered between now and July."

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"I wouldn’t say he’s a lock to be with us and I wouldn’t say he isn’t?" Could the general manager possibly give a more puzzling answer?

Perhaps they aren’t convinced he is going to continue being this consistent.

They do have the right to match any proposed contract in the offseason and can tender a $7.4 million qualifying offer to lock him up for just one more season.

Do they take the risk of getting one more year out of him him, and then watch him sign elsewhere for a price they cannot afford to match?

It’s a risk that Chris Wallace should not take and he must make the smart decision to extend their sixth man before the Jan. 25 deadline or as his first priority after the year is over. 

Mayo is averaging 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists coming off the bench for the Grizzlies, shooting 45.8 percent from the field and a sizzling .489 from beyond the arc.

Those are incredible numbers for a sixth-man and he is a large reason why the team has won six straight games without arguably their best player, Zach Randolph.

He’s a hit with his teammates, too, and they love what he brings to the table when he is on the floor. Tillery reported:

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"He obviously knows his role," teammate Tony Allen said. "When he comes in he has to be 'The Microwave.' He has to come in and give us energy offensively."

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Mayo backed up this sentiment, saying, "If I can't do anything, I'm going to shoot it when I'm open, the guys are doing a good job of finding me."

If the Grizzlies want to keep competitive in the Western Conference and continue to make deep playoff runs, they would be crazy not to make O.J. Mayo part of that plan.