Memphis Grizzlies: Time To Move Mayo? Interesting Trade Scenarios To Ponder

With O.J. Mayo clearly struggling early in the season, could the Memphis Grizzlies look to move him during the season?

Mayo's name has been mentioned in trade rumors in the past, and nothing should be ruled out if it would improve the team moving forward.

The Grizzlies drafted Xavier Henry with their top pick in this past draft, and with the right grooming, he could easily become the teams' most attractive option at shooting guard in the near future.

With Tony Allen and Sam Young both playing primarily at shooting guard also, it would seem Mayo might become expendable if he can't find a way to get back to the level of play he enjoyed during his first two seasons in Memphis.

The front office knows a big payday is looming in the future for Mayo once his rookie contract expires, and with Henry taking over the starting role recently, it could be a sign the team might consider making a move involving him.

Lionel Hollins has stated that the move to bring Mayo off the bench was to help improve the scoring off the bench, which makes sense. However, Mayo hasn't been scoring at his usual level, as almost all of his stats are down this season, which makes me wonder how this can't be viewed as demotion?

With the help of ESPN's Trade Machine, I looked at several options the Grizzlies could potentially look at if they decide to make a move involving Mayo. Keep in mind Memphis probably wouldn't make any of these moves, but they would be interesting nonetheless.

Note: Numbers in parentheses represent projected effect on win/loss total after the potential trade.

Memphis (+8) sends O.J. Mayo to the Los Angeles Clippers (-10) for Eric Gordon:

Mayo played his college ball at USC, meaning he would likely embrace a move back to Southern California. The switch in scenery might benefit Mayo.

Gordon would be an excellent replacement for the Grizzlies and would likely mesh well with the rest of the Grizzlies roster.According to the projections of the Trade Machine, his addition would definitely benefit the Grizzlies' record this season.

At this point in time, Gordon is clearly the more attractive option of the two, meaning Memphis would likely have to include cash or a draft pick to get something done.

Memphis (+6) sends O.J. Mayo and Hasheem Thabeet to the Charlotte Bobcats (-7) for Stephen Jackson:

While Captain Jack might be considered something of a head case in certain circles in the NBA, he does have a history that includes leading a troubled franchise to postseason success, something Memphis clearly could use.

The Grizzlies need someone other than Tony Allen on the roster with legitimate playoff experience, and Jackson would definitely fit that bill. He has helped lead several middle-of-the-pack teams to the postseason, and would definitely improve Memphis' chances of making a trip this season.

Jackson has three years left on his deal at a fairly high price, but that would allow for Henry to take over the reigns in the future after playing behind Jackson for a few seasons.

Memphis (+5) sends O.J. Mayo and Hasheem Thabeet to the Detroit Pistons (-4) for Ben Gordon:

Maybe Memphis just needs to have a Gordon on the roster, as Ben Gordon would give the Grizzlies the same offensive boost that Eric Gordon would provide.

This deal might be the most likely of the three to actually occur, as Detroit would likely jump all over the offer if the Grizzlies called with this proposal. They clearly need some more size on their team, and Mayo is a much cheaper, yet still efficient and effective option than Gordon is.