Milwaukee Bucks NBA Trade and Roster Rumors: O.J. Mayo Hopes to Make a Comeback with the Bucks
Former University of Southern California shooting guard O.J. Mayo came into the league with such promise back in 2008 when he was selected third-overall in the draft by the Timberwolves. He would never play in Minnesota, though, because he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies later that day.
He was a talented scorer who had the potential to become a star in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Unfortunately, his off-court problems soon became a distraction and his career entered a downward spiral.
In 2011, he was suspended for 10 games without pay following a positive test for the steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). And in the summer of 2016, Mayo finally hit rock bottom when he received a two-year ban from the NBA for violating the league's drug policy.
He still has less than a year remaining on his ban and he has expressed interest in playing overseas this fall. But once he gets reinstated, Mayo said he wants to make his comeback as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.
"I was real close with Jason Kidd. That was the best relationship I had with a coach besides [Dwaine Barnes]. I had great relationships with Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and Khris Middleton. I was comfortable there. I felt like I let them down, cheated them for two years. They paid me $8 million to be, in my eyes, a subpar player," Mayo told The Crossover.
The question is, do the Bucks want him back?
Mayo has admitted that he has not lived up to his contract during his stint in Milwaukee and he will be 30 next season. Still, he has the skill set to fill the Bucks' needs.
The team could use another scorer like Mayo off the bench to open the floor for Antetokounmpo, so perhaps he could get another chance to prove his worth.