Straight outta Vancouver explores the trade market for OJ Mayo. Mark Travis seems pretty open to the idea of improving them team by shipping OJ Mayo off for some pieces that fit better with the rest of the team.

The problem for O.J. is that he’s on a team with three above average players (Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, and Zach Randolph) that all need looks and more often than not it seems like Mayo gets the short end of the stick.

On the season, Mayo is averaging the second most field goal attempts a game for the Grizzlies, but minor injuries have slowed the starts of Randolph and Gasol to this point and they will both likely be more aggressive and effective once they are 100% healthy. Additionally, Mike Conley seems like he is going to be shooting the ball a bit more this season based on his play during the first couple of weeks, which only takes more looks away from Mayo.

He offers up a bunch of trade scenarios with multiple teams one of which is our GSWs:

Golden State Warriors Receive: O.J. Mayo, Hasheem Thabeet

Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Monta Ellis

This offer was reportedly made last season but the Warriors turned it down. Ellis has looked a lot better this season, so there is obviously still incentive for the Grizzlies to make this deal, but Conley’s extension means Ellis would be stepping into the same role Mayo was forced into and he’s a lot more assertive than Mayo with his shot attempts, so that may not work out for Memphis. Still, there are few players as talented as Ellis and his ability to create, even though he prefers to shoot, is better than Mayo’s at this point.

I cannot imagine that this trade is even a remote possibility. If the offer was indeed made last season and the Warriors turned it down why in the world does he think it is now a possibility. Ellis is playing much better and more importantly seems to be much happier. The only reason to have even thought about this trade last year was if you thought Ellis and Curry could not play together or that Ellis was just going to Capt. Jack his way out of town. However if you think Ellis and Curry cannot play together what makes you think that Curry and Mayo can play together? Add that to the fact that Biedrins is playing much better this season and when David Lee is healthy and the emergence of Jeff Adrien off the bench I don’t know if Thabeet would even be wearing a uniform most nights. He may be more useful than Gadzuric, but probably not more useful than Vladimir Radmanovic and certainly not more useful than Adrien.

In short: NO DEAL.