OJ Mayo: Overrated Free-Agent Shooting Guard Doesn't Deserve Big Pay Day

Free-agent shooting guard O.J. Mayo has long been one of the more overrated players in the NBA.

Maybe he is so highly thought of because he averaged 23.1 points per game for Rose Hill Christian High School when he was in seventh grade.

Or it could be because he frequently attracted some of the largest crowds in high school basketball history when he transferred to North College Hill High School in Ohio before transferring back to Huntington High School in his hometown where he averaged 29 points per game his senior year.

His 20.7 points per game during his only season at USC certainly set the stage for an illustrious NBA career, but we've yet to see the results that were expected.

We should have expected this, as Mayo's career started off on a rather unexpected foot. He was drafted No. 3 overall in 2008 by the Minnesota Timberwolves and was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies along with a few other players for Kevin Love after the draft.

In his rookie season, Mayo looked like he was going to be one of the great players of his era, averaging 18.5 points and starting every game for the Grizzlies.

His sophomore campaign saw him post similar numbers to the tune of 17.5 points per contest, but it's been all downhill since then.

The downfall of O.J. Mayo began once the Grizzlies started to resemble something like a quality basketball team. In 2010-2011, Mayo lost his starting job. He played just 26.3 minutes per game, shooting under 41 percent and averaging 11.3 points per night.

Last season, Mayo averaged 12.6 points per game. He shot under 41 percent for the second consecutive season and didn't start a single game.

This offseason, the Indiana Pacers have shown interest. The Boston Celtics have reportedly looked into acquiring O.J. Mayo.

What do those two teams have in common? They are contenders.

When did Mayo's statistics fall off? When the Grizzlies became a contender.

Of course, the Pacers and Celtics don't need Mayo to carry their offense. They would likely use him as a scoring option on the wing, but he hasn't been that impressive in that role either.

Mayo doesn't benefit from coming off the bench. The two seasons he came off the bench, his shooting percentage fell from .458 to .407 and .408, respectively.

It's not clear what salary Mayo will command on the free-agency market, but it shouldn't be a high one. He's only 24 years old, and hasn't proved himself to be a vital piece of a successful offense just yet.

The only way Mayo makes sense for a contender is if a prospective team forces him to wait it out until the closing days of the free-agency period, which could force him to take a pay cut.

Mayo can score, but he's better when he's the first or second option on a team's offense.

Contenders beware.